PD: Teenager arrested following deadly North Phoenix shooting

Police say a teenage boy has been detained after a man was shot and killed late Monday night in North Phoenix.

According to Sgt. Any Williams with Phoenix Police, officers responded to 35th and Dunlap Avenues at about 11:30 p.m. on Oct. 18 for reports of a shooting.

Once at the scene, officers found a man with an apparent gunshot wound. The man, since identified as 32-year-old Roberto Taylor-Vargas, was taken to a hospital in extremely critical condition where he later died.

"Officers located a teenage male suspect on scene who has been detained," said Sgt. Williams.

Hours after Taylor-Vargas died, loved ones gathered to remember the victim.

Family members of Taylor-Vargas say he did not live at the apartment complex where the shooting happened. Meanwhile, Taylor-Vargas' wife, who is also the mother of his two children, said she spoke to him before the tragedy.

"I don't understand how someone could just take someone's life away. I don't understand," said Stephanie Arteaga. "There's other ways to handle things than killing somebody that has kids."

Taylor-Vargas' mother said she had a bad feeling when she learned about the shooting on the morning of Oct. 19.

"My daughter text me, called me this morning, saying 'have you heard from Robert?' I said no, and she told me about this, and I said it's Robert. I had a feeling it was my son." said Shawn Taylor. "I called my sister and I told her. I said 'I think Robert’s dead.' She said 'why?' And then, my daughter told me that the detective was calling her and they needed to talk to me, and I said 'yep, it's Robert. He's gone.'

The suspect, who is not being identified by police due to his age, has been booked into the Juvenile Corrections Center for alleged murder.

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