In the early hours of a Tuesday morning in central Phoenix, a visit to a friend's house turned fatal for 18-year-old Jesus Alexander Reyes-Morales. On February 21, 2023, Phoenix police responded to a call regarding an unknown disturbance at a residence near 27th Avenue and Melvin Street shortly before 1:00 a.m. Upon arrival, officers discovered Reyes-Morales inside the home, suffering from gunshot wounds.
Despite the efforts of the fire department personnel who also responded to the scene, he was pronounced deceased.
The investigation into the shooting revealed a tragic sequence of events. Reyes-Morales was at the home with a female friend when her former boyfriend arrived. An interaction occurred between the individuals, which tragically escalated to Reyes-Morales being shot. The suspect fled the scene before law enforcement arrived, prompting a search.
Following the incident, detectives from the Phoenix Police Department launched a homicide investigation. Their efforts quickly led to the identification and location of the suspect, who was identified as 29-year-old Jose Olegario Gomez Herrera. Herrera was apprehended, taken to police headquarters for an interview, and subsequently arrested. He was later booked into jail on multiple serious charges, including first-degree murder and tampering with physical evidence.
