Mauricio Alvarez, a 19-year-old Hispanic/Latino man known to some as "Maury" or "Iso Million," was a former student at Indian Trail High School in Kenosha, Wisconsin. His life was cut short in a violent encounter on the night of June 13, 2023. His family later held a fundraiser to cover funeral expenses.
That evening, Mauricio and his 21-year-old brother, Kevin Alvarez, drove from their home in Zion, Illinois, to the parking lot of Grace Lutheran Church in Kenosha.
Authorities stated the brothers were there for a drug deal. The meeting turned into a confrontation when, according to Kevin’s later statement to police, Mauricio realized the money he was given was counterfeit. When Mauricio confronted one of the men, identified as Anthony Santana, gunfire erupted. Mauricio was shot in the head. Kevin was shot in the chest and thighs, and another man involved, Tayvion Taylor, was shot in the arm or shoulder.
Surveillance video captured Kevin Alvarez dropping fake cash and drugs at the scene before he drove himself and his brother to a hospital. Mauricio went into cardiac arrest and was pronounced dead shortly before 11 p.m. Around the same time, Taylor arrived at a different hospital for his injuries. Investigators at the church parking lot recovered three bullet casings, $760 in counterfeit money, and a quantity of THC vape cartridges, psilocybin mushrooms, and marijuana. Police later recovered two different guns used in the shooting.
Following an investigation, authorities charged three men. Kevin Alvarez was charged with first-degree reckless homicide, with one report suggesting he may have fired the fatal shot by accident during the gunfight. Tayvion Taylor of Kenosha was arrested and charged with felony murder and armed robbery. The third suspect, 20-year-old Anthony Santana, also from Kenosha, fled after the shooting. A warrant for half a million dollars was issued for his arrest, and he was placed on the U.S. Marshals' most wanted criminals list.
Santana remained a fugitive for several months. In October 2023, he was arrested in California after a person saw him post about the case on social media and tipped off authorities. Santana was also charged with felony murder and armed robbery. As of October 2023, the legal proceedings against all three men were ongoing.
