Two Arizona teenagers allegedly had an altercation with an older man in a Starbucks parking lot on September 13, 2025. Things reportedly escalated, and a road rage incident turned into a physical fight. Tragically, 17-year-old Javier Figueroa was hit by a car and died a short time later. But police say it wasn’t the older man at the scene who hit him. Instead, it was his 19-year-old brother, Juan Figueroa, who is now facing murder charges.
Police responded to the scene just before 7 p.m., according to a news release from the Yuma Police Department. Officers reportedly found Javier Figueroa unresponsive and took him to an area hospital, where staff declared him dead. Police questioned the unidentified 36-year-old man and released him. They arrested Juan Figueroa, who faces several charges.
Per a probable cause statement obtained by KYMA, the 36-year-old man claimed Javier Figueroa left the vehicle with a knife and threatened to stab him. Police found the weapon at the scene but did not identify who it belonged to. Juan Figueroa alleged that the man hit his brother in the face, so he decided to hit him with the car. Sadly, he killed his brother instead.
The boys’ father, Joseph Figueroa, told KYMA he thinks police coerced his son into a confession.
“Well, I think his statement he was just saying what they were telling him … I know that on scene they kept on telling him that he killed his brother, he killed his brother, so he’s in a state of shock,” he alleged.
Carrie Matus created a GoFundMe account for the family, alleging improper conduct by police.
“The conduct we’ve observed from the YPD has shown no empathy, compassion, or professionalism. We want the responsible party held accountable. The attacker followed, intimidated, and assaulted two teens over a traffic incident,” she wrote on the fundraiser page. “In court, Juan was told he was not a victim or victim representative, and on social media, we were notified of his charges. It feels like a slap to all families who lose loved ones to senseless violence. Both adults in the incident walked away; Juan remained detained.”
Juan Figueroa remains in custody on a first-degree murder charge and a first-degree attempted murder charge, according to the police department’s news release.
Now, the family must face the unimaginable grief of losing two sons at once while trying to find the truth.
