Left: Jaheime Rashard Brown (Maricopa County Jail). Right: Julio Angel Osife Diaz (GoFundMe). Background: Phoenix police investigate after Brown allegedly shot Osife Diaz to death (GoFundMe).
A 22-year-old Arizona man was shot dead at a gas station during an argument by a stranger just hours after celebrating his birthday, according to police and family.
Jaheime Rashard Brown, 21, is facing a second-degree murder charge in the death of Julio Angel Osife Diaz in Phoenix. Cops responded shortly before 2:30 a.m. July 18 to a gas station near 16th Street and Thomas Road.
Officers found Osife Diaz suffering from a gunshot wound. Paramedics rushed the victim to the hospital, where he died.
Brown remained at the scene and was detained.
Detectives say Brown approached the victim at the gas station and "confronted him." An argument ensued, and the suspect allegedly shot Osife Diaz dead. Cops did not elaborate on the altercation but said the two did not know each other before their deadly interaction.
Osife Diaz's family told local Fox affiliate KSAZ that he was living "his best life" at his birthday party and was on his way to his uncle's house when he stopped off at the gas station. He was defending his girlfriend when the shooting occurred, his family said.
"He loved to play basketball. He was very family-oriented. He's very traditional," his mother Bianca Vilasto said in an interview with the TV station. "He would never cause harm onto anybody. He was just starting his life."
Vilasto lamented how her family will be "serving a life sentence" and would like her son's alleged killer to receive a similar fate.
"I just hope that we find justice," she said.
She became emotional when thinking about the simple things she'll miss about her son.
"I'm never going to be able to walk and hear my son come out of his room and say, 'Good morning, mom,'" Vilasto told the TV station through tears.
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