Man, teen turn themselves in weeks after 2 brothers shot, killed in Gila Bend

GILA BEND, AZ (3TV/CBS 5) -- Deputies say a man and a teenage boy turned themselves in to police for shooting and killing two brothers outside a home in Gila Bend in early October. Investigators say 19-year-old Kurtis Childs and 16-year-old Aiden Manuel were booked on Friday night.

On Oct. 1, Maricopa County Sheriff’s deputies received a call of shots fired at a home near Papago and Euclid streets, just off Pima Street. Deputies arrived and found brothers, 25-year-old Emmanuel Boyd Arroyo and 26-year-old Noah Ezariah Arroyo Jr., shot. Both died at the scene.

Police contacted Childs’ mother and sister after the shooting. Court documents say Childs’ sister told police she and other family members were gathered at her house smoking when she saw Manuel, Childs, and a third man get into an argument with Emmanuel, with the group “displaying gang signs.” She said Noah then drove up a few minutes later. Court paperwork says several minutes later, the brothers began fighting Manuel and Childs. Investigators say she heard her brother, Childs, and Manuel shoot the men several times before running away. She also said she saw her brother put the gun in his waistband.

Childs’ mother gave a similar statement to police. The mother reportedly told police she saw the group fighting, and that one of the Arroyo brothers hit Childs on the head. Court paperwork says she tried to separate the group when Manuel pulled a gun out of his waistband and shot at one of the brothers. She then told police that Manuel handed the gun to Childs, who shot at the two men several times.

Court papers say the mother told police she saw Manuel, Childs and a third man run away after the shooting. Court documents say she told police she hasn’t seen or heard from her son since the shooting, suspecting that he and Manuel ran away to a different city. Another witness reportedly showed police a Snapchat video of Childs and Manuel making gang signs, and a gun is seen in Manuel’s waistband in the footage.

On Friday, an attorney for Manuel contacted deputies and said Manuel wanted to turn himself in. After being on the run for weeks, Manuel and Childs turned themselves in at 9:30 p.m. Both refused to speak with deputies, investigators say. It’s unknown where the two were hiding out. The third man also contacted deputies, who said he wasn’t involved in the fight or the shooting.

Manuel was booked on two counts of second-degree murder, two counts of aggravated assault and one count of discharging a firearm in city limits. Childs was booked on one count of second-degree murder and one count of discharging a firearm in city limits.