Teen Accused of Running Over and Killing His Younger Brother in Alleged ‘Road Rage Incident’

An Arizona teenager is facing a first-degree murder charge after allegedly hitting his younger brother with his car.

The Yuma Police Department and Yuma Fire Department responded to a “motor vehicle collision” in a Starbucks parking lot in Yuma on Sept. 13 at about 7:57 p.m. local time, according to a media release.

A 17-year-old boy, later identified as Javier Figueroa, “was found unresponsive” at the scene. He was taken to a nearby medical center, where he was pronounced dead, the release said.

The release said an “initial investigation” showed that three people were involved in the incident — Javier, his 19-year-old brother Juan Figueroa, and a 36-year-old man whose name has not been made public.

Booking records from the Yuma County Sheriff’s Office show that Juan was booked on charges of first-degree murder and attempted murder on Sunday, Sept. 14, at 3:34 a.m. local time. He is being held on a $500,000 bond, and no court dates have been set.

Police said a “road rage incident” allegedly happened in the parking lot, which “led to a fight between 3 individuals.” The fight reportedly ended with Juan hitting his younger brother with his car.

The 36-year-old man was questioned by police and later released, according to the release.

A probable cause statement obtained by KYMA said the 36-year-old man claimed the brothers tried to attack him with a knife during the altercation, and that he and Javier got into a physical fight.

The statement also said Juan claimed he was trying to hit the 36-year-old man with his car to protect his brother but accidentally hit Javier instead, according to KYMA.

PEOPLE reached out to the Yuma police and fire departments on Sunday, Sept. 21, but did not get an immediate response.

The teen’s father, Joseph Figueroa, said the other driver was chasing his children and that they called him while the incident was happening.

“I told them to hang up and call 911 because the police station was just down the street, but I guess they didn’t make it,” he said in a statement to local news outlet Fox 8.

The grieving father added that his sons were very close. Juan had just graduated from high school, and Javier was about to turn 18.

“I’m trying to bury one son and bail the other one. I need to know the truth, so I can help him,” he said, also mentioning that he believes there is more to the story.

A GoFundMe has been set up by a family friend to cover funeral expenses, memorial arrangements, and support for Joseph and his family during this difficult time.