Carlos Valdez, 21, was found shot to death in a car on the side of the road on Jan. 12, according to the Phoenix Police Department.
Valdez bought lunch and returned to a parking area near 71st Avenue and Indian School Road, according to family members.
Valdez was discovered dead shortly after 7 p.m. by police.
Valdez’s family is saddened as the inquiry into the incident proceeds.
“They took away a good son, a brother, a father to his children, and the man he was to his girlfriend,” said Valdez’s mother, Veronica Flores. “They don’t know. They just don’t know. They took away the most valuable thing to us.”
“He’s not a problematic person,” said the victim’s girlfriend, Destiny Chavez. “He would go to work and come home to us.”
Carlos meant everything to Destiny and their two daughters, she claimed. Carlos had just returned home from work, Destiny stated, bringing dinner for the family. However, as he returned to his car to look for parking, Destiny estimated that minutes had turned into at least a half-hour.
“Finally, I was, like, ‘Oh,’ like something’s wrong,” Destiny recounted. “I went to go look for him, and then that’s when I saw all the cops outside.”
Destiny claimed that her boyfriend did everything he could as a young father to provide for their two-year-old and one-year-old girls.
“He’s never left us. He’s always been there with us. He worked hard and we were so young. I got pregnant and I was 17, but he never gave up on us,” said Destiny.
Carlos’ family is begging anyone with information to come forward.
Silent Witness is asking anyone with information to call them at 480-WITNESS.
North Phoenix Shooting
Officers responded to a call of a person “bleeding inside of a vehicle” near 28th Drive and Peoria Avenue in the second incident.
The man was taken to the hospital by first responders, where he eventually died. His true identity has not been revealed.
“Preliminary information indicates the injury was a gunshot wound,” police said.
Detectives are still investigating the circumstances surrounding the shooting.
