Elderly Phoenix man beaten with construction helmet over $50 electric bill dies; ex-roommate accused of murder

PHOENIX - A 31-year-old Phoenix man has been charged with murder after police say he brutally beat his elderly roommate with a construction helmet during an argument over unpaid utility money, leading to the victim's death months later.

What we know:

Troy Yazzie was arrested Tuesday morning in Flagstaff, nearly three months after the violent April encounter at an apartment near 24th Avenue and Hazelwood Street. According to court records, the 76-year-old victim died on July 11 due to severe medical complications stemming from extensive blunt force trauma.

The backstory:

Police first responded to the West Phoenix home on the night of April 30 after the victim called 911 to report that Yazzie had taken $50 intended to pay their electric bill. Dispatchers noted hearing a man in the background asking if he was calling the police. When officers arrived, they found the victim covered in blood with severe facial injuries. The elderly man told officers that when he confronted Yazzie about the unpaid bill, his roommate flew into a rage, punching him in the face before repeatedly striking him with a white construction helmet.

First responders rushed the victim to St. Joseph’s Hospital, where doctors discovered a severely crushed face and internal bleeding around his brain. Over the next 10 weeks, the victim was moved through multiple specialized care facilities as his condition deteriorated, ultimately passing away at Banner Estrella Medical Center. Medical examiners later confirmed the death was caused by complications from blunt force trauma.

Dig deeper:

Investigators say Yazzie fled Phoenix to avoid law enforcement. Officers recovered the hard hat outside the apartment complex the following day, but Yazzie remained elusive until detectives tracked him down through his Coconino County probation officer, who confirmed Yazzie had moved back to Flagstaff to live with his mother.

On July 28, detectives from the Flagstaff Police Department and Phoenix Police Department apprehended Yazzie. During an interview with investigators, court documents say Yazzie admitted to punching his roommate and hitting him repeatedly with the construction helmet after becoming angry over the argument. Yazzie reportedly acknowledged knowing his roommate was elderly and that such violence could cause severe injury or death, making no claims of self-defense.

What's next:

He was booked into custody on a felony charge of second-degree murder. A judge has ordered a $1 million bond.

Yazzie remained in jail on Wednesday. His next court date is scheduled for Aug. 3.

Map of where the fatal confrontation took place:

Crime and Public SafetyPhoenixFlagstaff