Police: Mesa man fatally shot roommate because music threatened him

Mesa police arrested two brothers on Thursday, one for the murder of their roommate.

Jesus Manuel Baez-Franco, 36, is charged with second-degree murder, possession of dangerous drugs, and reckless discharge of a weapon, according to court documents. Oscar Baez-Franco, 26, is charged with disorderly conduct and reckless discharge of a weapon.

On Thursday, Mesa police officers responded to an apartment near East Southern Avenue and Southern Mesa Drive to a report of a man with a gun in the bathroom. When officers arrived, they found three people climbing out of the apartment through bedroom windows. They eventually found a man, whose identity has not yet been released, dead inside the apartment.

What led up to the police call?

According to court documents, Jesus Baez-Franco told police he was in the bathroom on Thursday when he heard someone rack a gun slide. He told police he shot his own gun through the closed bathroom door in response.

Oscar Baez-Franco told officers he awoke to the gunshot. Oscar BaezFranco opened his bedroom door to see his brother, Jesus. According to Oscar Baez-Franco, his brother said to him, “they’re coming for us!”

Oscar Baez-Franco then fired shots into the hallway from his own bedroom, which he shared with a roommate.

According to court documents, Jesus Baez-Franco told investigators he thought he was shooting another roommate nicknamed “Catchete” after using Methamphetamine that morning and feeling paranoid. However, behind the front door, officers found a man nicknamed “Titi” dead with gunshot wounds, court documents show. A medical examiner found the man had two bullet wounds and a search warrant found bullet holes throughout the area where Jesus Baez-Franco fired his gun, court documents said.

Jesus Baez-Franco said Catchete, who had been residing at the apartment for about a month, played songs that Baez-Franco felt were threatening because they referenced death, court documents noted.

What did police learn from the investigation?

The investigation found the victim, Titi, and Catchete, had been staying in the living room, according to court documents. Jesus Baez-Franco said Catchete, who had been residing at the apartment for about a month, played songs that Jesus Baez-Franco felt were threatening because they referenced death, court documents noted.

Jesus Baez-Franco said he heard what he thought was a pistol racking outside his room after hearing Catchete and Titi talking and hearing Catchete play a song on a phone, according court documents.

Jesus Baez-Franco then fired three rounds, saying the music scared him, charging documents state. He said he was shooting at Catchete but then opened the door and did not see anyone but proceeded to fire more shots, hitting different spots in the home, charging documents note.

During the investigation, Jesus Baez-Franco was shown a photo of the victim, whom he identified as Titi, according to court documents. The investigator told him Catchete was at work and that Titi had no gun on him, court documents continue.

Jesus Baez-Franco said he did not know Titi to carry a gun, that they had no disagreement with each other and that Titi had never threatened him, according to court documents.

Oscar Baez-Franco also fired rounds, but gunshots were not consistent with the wounds the victim sustained, according to charging documents.

As of Saturday, Jesus Baez-Franco remained in jail custody, jail records show. He is being held on a $1 million bond, police said. Oscar Baez-Franco was booked into jail and is being held on a $20,000 bond.