On the evening of October 12, 2025, a family dispute in a Phoenix, Arizona, home escalated into a tragedy that claimed the life of 57-year-old Jaunarius Moreno. The conflict began over a seemingly minor issue: the household's internet service had been accidentally disconnected during the installation of a new service. Family members, aware that this would upset 31-year-old Brandon Alvarez, contacted his stepfather, Moreno, who was not home at the time.
Upon his return, Moreno became
angry about the internet outage and expressed frustration that his stepson, Alvarez, along with his wife and two children, were living in the home and using the internet for free. Moreno went into the backyard to inspect the connection, carrying a flashlight. There, he found Alvarez sitting by a wood fire. The verbal argument between the two men intensified in the backyard of the residence, located near 39th and Maryland avenues.
According to police reports, Moreno dropped the flashlight and approached his stepson in an aggressive manner, though he was unarmed. In response, Alvarez drew a firearm and shot Moreno multiple times. It was Alvarez himself who then called 911 around 7:30 p.m. to report that he had shot his stepfather. When officers arrived at the scene, they found and detained Alvarez.
Phoenix police officers discovered Moreno in the backyard suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Responding firefighters pronounced him dead at the scene. Homicide detectives took over the investigation. Alvarez reportedly told investigators that he feared his stepfather was going to attack him or try to take his gun. After the shooting, he said he checked on his children inside the home before placing the gun in a bedroom and waiting for the police. Brandon Alvarez was arrested and later booked on one count of second-degree murder as the investigation into the fatal family argument continued.
