Background: The area of 14 Center Street in Taylor, Arizona (Google Maps). Inset: Francis Alcantar-Chavez (Snowflake-Taylor Police Department).
A man who killed his mother and stepfather in Arizona fled to Missouri and shot at a state trooper before being killed, police said.
The authorities were able to apprehend Chavez after an intense chase and exchange of gunfire. The fugitive was reportedly shot in the neck during the altercation. A bullet wound and a piece of metal shrapnel were removed from his neck before he was taken to the hospital. He is now being held without bond in the Lafayette County Jail on suspicion of attempted murder.
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The police believe that Chavez had been stalking Cynthia Templeton and that her murder was premeditated. Chavez and Cynthia Templeton had broken up a few months before her murder. The couple shared custody of their two children, and the children were reportedly at their father’s house at the time of the incident.
Francis Alcantar Chavez has a criminal history, including a conviction for domestic abuse. He is originally from Mexicali, Mexico, but has been living in Arizona in recent years. The investigation into the double murder is ongoing, and more details are expected to be released as the case progresses.
The trooper shot back and hit Chavez, killing him. The wounded law enforcement agent was brought to a nearby hospital and is expected to make a full recovery, police said.
“This is a tragic incident that has shaken our community,” Snowflake-Taylor Police Chief Robert Martin said of the double murder, per KSHB. “Our hearts to go out to the loved ones of Troy and Cynthia during this incredibly difficult time.”
The Templetons were members of the Arizona Rangers, “a uniformed, law enforcement auxiliary with a rich history dating back to the beginning of the twentieth century,” according to Phoenix-based ABC affiliate KNXV.
State Commander Col. Barry J. Adams said the couple met and fell in love through the civilian law enforcement force, AZFamily reported, adding that Cynthia Templeton’s sister said the couple had been married for a little more than a year.
