Family wants answers after 74-year-old man was randomly attacked & killed
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PHOENIX (KPHO/KTVK) — A family wants to know why someone randomly attacked a 74-year-old grandfather in broad daylight.
Phoenix Police Department is still investigating what the motive is.
The department said Juanito Falcon was walking near 17th Avenue and Bethany Home Road on Feb. 16 when a man attacked him for no apparent reason.
“I have a lot of emotions at the moment,” said Falcon’s niece, Jacklyn Lozada. “I’m deeply sad. I’m scared, and I’m devastated, and of course, I feel angry.”
For an uncle Lozada describes as kind and charismatic, she can’t imagine why anyone would hurt him.
“You took a very special person away from us, and he had so many more years to give and so much more love,” said Lozada.
Court documents said Marcus Williams punched Falcon and drove off when the 74-year-old fell to the ground, striking his head on the pavement. Falcon died two days later.
Williams was booked into jail on a second-degree murder charge.
Although investigators say they don’t have any evidence the victim was targeted for his race, Falcon’s niece, Lysander Lanuza, believes otherwise.
“I believe that my uncle, being Asian that he is, I believe he was specifically targeted because the person was driving, got out of his car, punched him randomly and went back to his car and drove off,” said Lanuza.
With so many mysteries surrounding Falcon’s death, the family keeps their focus on the loving legacy he left behind.
“We always felt loved by him,” said Lozada. “We always felt safe, and he always made us smile.”
“He loved his family, and he put God first in everything that he does,” said Lanuza.
The family is asking for prayers and set up this GoFundMe page.
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