Family to bury Phoenix man in Navajo Nation after hit-and-run death, investigation continues
But this time, a vehicle struck the disabled 43-year-old in the area of West Dunlap Avenue near North 19th Avenue and just a few houses from the home he shared with his older brother, Franklin Antonio, 48. After the vehicle fled without stopping to help an injured Leandro, who would die at the scene, his family is grappling with his loss.
They are seeking answers in a case where there are seemingly few clues, along with the little means they have to return his remains to their Navajo homeland in New Mexico.
"He wasn't just some stranger out in the streets. He had a loving family that loved him and they cared for him," Franklin Antonio told The Arizona Republic, adding the person who took Leandro's life must have felt the impact when the vehicle hit him.
More than 20 years ago, Leandro Antonio was shot on the right side of his head when an armed assailant was robbing him. As a result, he could walk but had limited use of his limbs. His injuries led to seizures, which he took prescription drugs to prevent. The incident left him living off disability benefits that kept him without a car.
Despite the challenges he faced, Leandro Antonio strived to contribute to his brother's home by completing housekeeping chores. Addressed as "Dro" by his family, he was a stalwart presence for Franklin's homeschooled 18-year-old son.
"Heartbroken," Franklin Antonio said about his son's reaction to the loss of his uncle.
The entire family has been left shaken, including his parents, six other siblings and several other nephews and nieces.
The family's 69-year-old matriarch is overwhelmed with grief. Mother and son would keep each other company by regularly dining at Cracker Barrel.
"It's hard to see your mom cry," Franklin Antonio said.
Before the shooting, Leandro Antonio had been an avid basketball player and would still hit the court with Franklin at Encanto Park.
That same yearning for independence is why Leandro Antonio would choose not to rely on anyone to pick up snacks or refreshments, just as he was doing when he fell victim to a hit and run.
To stretch his legs and enjoy some daily physical activity, Leandro took walks to the nearby convenience store.
Around 6:12 p.m. the day he was killed, Franklin Antonio received a text message from Leandro telling him, "I'm at the store. I'll be back."
As Franklin approached his home, he saw police sirens and a cluster of people. After parking his truck and walking up to the scene, he noticed the victim had the same ankle brace as Leandro. An anguished Franklin broke into sobs.
Police told him Leandro had already died.
A Jan. 25 police press release stated Leandro Antonio was hit by an "unknown vehicle" around 6:47 p.m. Franklin said police told the family on the day Leandro was killed that there was surveillance video they would be looking into.
The bereaved brother said he saw a vehicle bumper at the scene of the crash.
A week later, Leandro Antonio's family had yet to hear from police about the case despite Franklin and the family's eldest child, their sister, reaching out for updates.
"Right now, we're just sitting in the dark," Franklin Antonio said. "Each day that goes by, it gets further away, the chances of them catching who hit my brother."
In response to a request for comment, Phoenix police told The Republic via email Thursday evening that the case remains under investigation.
As the family waits for a semblance of justice for Leandro, they are trying to honor him and their heritage.
A GoFundMe page was created to raise money that will help arrange for the transportation of Leandro's remains to Counselor, a community in the Navajo Nation in northern New Mexico. The family hopes to bury him where their roots lie, as is customary among the Navajo.
"The dirt that brought him out, we're gonna bury him in it," Franklin Antonio said.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Phoenix man killed in hit-and-run. GoFundMe available to assist burial
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
23-06-2025
- New York Post
Hiker on trip with her dad survives 3 days after falling off ‘Edge of the World'
An Arizona woman fell into a canyon known as the 'Edge of the World' and managed to survive three day in the desert before she was rescued. Janelle Banda, 32, was on a father-daughter camping trip when she went for a walk and took a misstep that dropped her 400 feet into a steep canyon in Sedona, Arizona. For two and a half days, Banda suffered through the heat and cold as her family was 'very much mentally preparing for the worst,' her loved ones told The Arizona Republic. Advertisement Janelle Banda took a misstep and fell into a 400 foot canyon during a hike with her father. But Banda was ultimately saved by the Pima County sheriff's office, which airlifted her by helicopter on June 16. Her sister, Sarah Banda, 29, called the rescue 'nothing short of a miracle,' adding that she has 'an overwhelming amount of relief, joy.' Advertisement The sisters 'always had a love for the outdoors' and were seasoned hikers, but Janelle Banda's latest trip was her first trek at the Edge of the World — a popular beauty spot marked by towering rock formations and treacherous cliffs She and her father started their trip on June 11, Janelle Banda, an Etsy store owner, and her father started their trip on June 11. She then took a short walk away from their campsite on the night of June 12, when she was 'spooked by something' and lost her way in the woods, her sister said. 'If you walk the wrong way, down the wrong path, you could just end up walking and stepping where you shouldn't at the edge of the cliff,' Sarah Banda said. Advertisement Janelle Banda was found alive and rescued days after she disappeared. Coconino County Sheriff's Office via Storyful Janelle Banda made it out with two sprained ankles, cuts, bruising and some scrapes that resembled road burn. She was also extremely dehydrated when she was found. She spent one night in the hospital and is now resting with her parents, Sarah Banda said. 'She can't really move,' said Sarah Banda. 'She's in a lot of pain.' Advertisement 'There's obviously the mental toll of … the trauma of not just falling but being in the canyon alone,' she said. 'That's a different battle that she'll have to deal with.'
Yahoo
18-06-2025
- Yahoo
Who is Brady Kiser? What to know about influencer Emilie Kiser's husband
The husband of Chandler-based social media influencer Emilie Kiser told police he was watching their newborn when their 3-year-old fell into the pool and drowned, according to search warrant applications obtained by The Arizona Republic. Brady Kiser told officers he lost sight of Trigg Kiser for three to five minutes before finding the boy floating in the family's backyard pool, according to the applications, which included sworn police affidavits summarizing a police interview with Brady Kiser. In May, Emilie Kiser filed a lawsuit to block government records about the investigation into Trigg Kiser's drowning from being released to the public, arguing that doing so would violate her family's privacy. Emilie Kiser's legal team has since agreed that some records about the investigation into her son's death, such as redacted police and medical examiner reports, could be released. But whatever is made available should balance her privacy against the public's right to know, they said. The search warrant applications, which were granted, sought surveillance footage at the home to corroborate Brady Kiser's statements to police. The applications were public documents filed with the Maricopa County Clerk of the Superior Court. Don't miss the important news of the day. Sign up for azcentral newsletter alerts to be in the know. Brady Kiser is the husband of Emilie Kiser and the father to their late son, Trigg, 3, and their surviving son, Theodore, who was born earlier this year. Brady Kiser was frequently featured in his wife's social media posts, which focused on family, parenthood, nutrition and other aspects of her daily life. Trigg was hospitalized on May 12 after he fell into the family's backyard pool in Chandler. Brady Kiser told police he was distracted by Theodore and had lost sight of Trigg for roughly three to five minutes before finding him floating in the pool, according to search warrant applications obtained by The Arizona Republic. Once he saw that Trigg was in the pool, he jumped in to get the boy and called 911, according to police records. Investigators in the search warrant applications said they wanted to obtain home surveillance video so they could corroborate Brady Kiser's statements. The couple met in August 2018 and married in November 2019, according to an Emilie Kiser TikTok post. Brady Kiser is 28 years old. The couple moved to Arizona so Brady Kiser could pursue work in solar sales, according to a YouTube video Emilie posted in March 2024. She also said he runs his own car-detailing business. The couple has lived in Chandler since 2024, according to Emilie Kiser's TikTok account. Father's account: Emilie Kiser's husband told police he was watching newborn when son Trigg drowned This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Who is Emilie Kiser's husband? What to know about Brady Kiser
USA Today
17-06-2025
- USA Today
New details in Emilie Kiser's son's death: Husband told police how boy fell into pool
Brady Kiser, the husband of social media influencer Emilie Kiser, told police he was watching their newborn when their 3-year-old son Trigg fell into the backyard pool and accidentally drowned, according to search warrant applications obtained by The Arizona Republic, part of the USA TODAY Network. Trigg Kiser died on May 18 after being pulled from the family's pool in Chandler, Arizona, six days earlier, according to police and court documents. In the weeks since Trigg's death, the Kiser family has pushed to conceal records that would ordinarily be public; Emilie Kiser filed a lawsuit to prevent the release of such records on May 27. The search warrant applications, which were granted by Maricopa County Superior Court judges in May and include sworn police affidavits detailing an interview with Brady Kiser, offer new details about the moments leading up to Trigg falling into the pool. Brady Kiser told Chandler police he was home alone with the two boys at the time. Emilie Kiser was out with friends, her husband told police. New details in Trigg Kiser's drowning death Brady Kiser told police he lost sight of Trigg for three to five minutes before finding the boy floating in the pool, according to the applications. Trigg went to the backyard to play after he finished eating, Brady Kiser told police. The father said he saw Trigg playing near the pool, which the police records said was "not uncommon." Brady Kiser told police the pool usually had a protective cover on it, according to the records. Brady Kiser was "soon distracted" by his newborn son, the police records said. Once he saw that Trigg was in the pool, he jumped in to get the boy and called 911, according to the records. Investigators filed the search warrant applications on May 13 to obtain video surveillance from two outdoor cameras in the backyard so they could corroborate Brady Kiser's statement, the records said. Has Emilie Kiser spoken out about Trigg's death? Emilie Kiser, who has 4 million followers on TikTok, hasn't publicly spoken out since her son's death. Her last social media post was on May 12. Since Trigg's death, Emilie Kiser has turned off commenting on most of her Instagram and TikTok profiles, and Brady Kiser has made his Instagram account private. The family's only statement has come in the form of the May 27 lawsuit pushing to keep public records about the 3-year-old's tragic death private. In the filing, Kiser's attorneys said that she and her family "desperately want to grieve in private, but sadly, the public will not let them," adding that her son's death "has become a media frenzy." "Emilie is trying her best to be there for her surviving son, two-month-old Theodore," the lawsuit says. "But every day is a battle." Emilie Kiser lawsuit: Why public records could be released despite request for privacy Emilie Kiser lawsuit: What has happened so far? Kiser is suing several public agencies to prohibit officials from releasing public documents related to Trigg's death, including the police report, 911 call and scene photos. According to the initial complaint, Kiser and her counsel have not seen the documents, but they presume they are "exceptionally raw and graphic." The release of such records would "intrude upon personal dignity or cause unnecessary harm" to Kiser and her family, the lawsuit says. Gallagher & Kennedy, the firm representing Kiser, has not responded to USA TODAY's requests for comment. The first hearing in Kiser's case was held on June 3. According to The Republic, Kiser's attorney Kevin O'Malley said during the hearing that some redacted documents are likely "appropriate" for public release. As a result of the hearing, the parties in the case agreed to an interim order prohibiting the dissemination of the public records in question, according to court filings obtained by USA TODAY. Kiser's attorneys also filed a notice to dismiss some agencies from the lawsuit, and the court sealed a declaration Kiser wrote about this case. Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for USA TODAY. She can be reached at
