Phoenix woman recounts moments when fiancé was killed looking at Christmas lights

PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) -- A Phoenix woman and her two small kids witnessed the horror of her fiancé’s murder after they looked at Christmas lights. Police said a group of men tried to carjack Eduardo Uzueta, then beat and shot him when he fought back.

Investigators arrested a teenager for murder after one of his friends pointed the finger at him. Police believe the group of men committed a carjacking in a nearby location. Meanwhile, the fiancée said the night that started as a Christmas dream ended in a nightmare.

Uzueta, his fiancée, and their 8-year-old daughter and 2-month-old son made a special trip to see Christmas lights in Waddell on Dec. 8. “We had a good time, the kids had a good time,” said the fiancée who spoke anonymously for safety concerns. She said on the way home, Eduardo wanted to make a quick stop to smoke a cigarette at Sunridge Park near 63rd Avenue and Roosevelt Street. They noticed a group of men there, and the next thing they knew: “He was attacked, brutally attacked by several of them and its just one of him,” said the fiancée.

She was huddled in the locked car with the kids during the ambush. The next thing they heard was gunshots. “It was terrifying, I don’t wish this on anybody, I don’t want anyone else to go through this.” Uzueta crawled back to the car and got into the back seat with his 8-year-old daughter and 2-month-old son. She drove to a family member’s house and called 911. The 28-year-old was pronounced dead at the hospital. “It’s unfortunate his son won’t remember his father. I’ll make sure he remembers, he was such a humble man, so genuine and so caring.”

Phoenix police brought four suspects in for questioning. Two of them would not speak. Finally, one of them pointed the finger at 19-year-old Isaiah Nash, who’s accused of pistol-whipping and then shooting Uzueta. Detectives found through their investigation that the group of men planned a carjacking through social media and were prime suspects in a different armed robbery at another Phoenix park.

Now, this woman hopes the justice system does its job for her fiancé. “He was an amazing human being, amazing father, an amazing partner and he deserves justice,” she said.

Arizona’s Family reached out to Phoenix police on other suspects facing charges. Phoenix Police said the investigation is ongoing, and right now, no one else is facing charges.

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