A gardener employed by a landlord was reportedly fatally shot by a tenant on the premises, according to authorities.
Manuel Vega Lopez, aged 51, was fatally shot in Gilbert, Arizona, on Monday, May 19, according to a statement from the Gilbert Police Department.
The following day, authorities apprehended 28-year-old Wyatt Ford in relation to the shooting, according to the statement.
Authorities indicate that officers, reacting to a notification of a “dispute,” discovered Lopez’s corpse in front of a property.
Lopez was shot while law enforcement was in transit.
As per court records referenced by AZ Family, ABC 15, and AZ Central, Ford presumed that Lopez was accountable for what he and his wife perceived to be a burglary in their trailer a few days earlier.
Authorities said in court filings that Ford had been notified by the landlord on a landscaper’s impending visit to the premises to cut the yard’s trees, according to reports.
Ford’s spouse informed investigators that he had received and replied to the text message.
Following the incident, a witness claimed to have heard Ford state, “I didn’t mean to,” as per court records referenced by AZ Central.
In a GoFundMe established to help his family in repatriating his remains to Mexico, Lopez’s daughter described him as a “dedicated and industrious landscaper” and the “eyes and legs” for his wife, who is undergoing dialysis and experiencing vision loss.
“He was a compassionate, considerate, respectful, and affectionate husband, father, and friend.” “A life replete with love, hope, happiness, and all that life can provide,” said Manuelita Vega at the fundraising.
He constructed our family a home characterized not by luxury but by simplicity and pleasure. As a parent, he exerted all his efforts in every possible manner to generate revenue and provided his family with unwavering support,” she continued.
Lopez’s kid, a cancer survivor, continues to suffer while the family mourns the death of the “caring, attentive” gardener, Vega said.
Wyatt Ford was apprehended by the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office on allegations of second-degree murder, according to a statement from Gilbert Police.
It was not immediately evident if he had submitted a plea. An counsel designated for him in court documents did not reply to PEOPLE’s request for commentary.
