Mesa police: Man confesses to killing stepfather he 'never got along' with
A man was arrested Thursday after police say he confessed to shooting and killing his stepfather in Mesa.
Police identified the suspect as Alexander Solano, 43, and he faces second-degree murder charges.
According to court documents, family of Solano told police that he and his stepfather, 61-year-old Darryl Hynek, both lived at the same residence near Broadway Road and Val Vista Drive. They told police they “never got along” and had an argument about rent money close to the time of the shooting.
The suspect’s mother was awoken around 4:30 a.m. Thursday to the sound of two gunshots in her living room, and that’s where she found her husband dead in his recliner, court documents say.
Security camera footage from the scene showed Solano fleeing, according to court documents.
The family at the residence helped with the investigation by providing texts that Solano was sending at the time to his brother. His brother also told police that Solano had a Springfield Hellcat 9 mm pistol and ammunition, court documents state. At the scene, police said they found two 9 mm casings that matched the casings found in one of Solano's backpacks inside the home.
Mesa police arrested Solano near Country Club and University drives on Thursday afternoon.
According to court documents, Solano broke down in tears when asked about his mother and confessed to shooting his stepfather. He also told them he threw the gun into a canal because he “didn’t want anyone to get in trouble,” which has led investigators to believe someone acquired the gun for him.
Solano told police he was "willing to accept responsibility for his actions and advised that sometimes people just reach a breaking point," documents state.
At the time of the arrest, Solano was on felony probation out of Navajo County for charges related to unlawful flight. Solano has previously been arrested for domestic violence charges, burglary and DUI, according to court documents.
Solano faces charges of second-degree murder, misconduct with weapons and tampering with evidence.
Resources for Arizonans experiencing domestic violence
National Domestic Violence Hotline: 800-799-SAFE (7233)
Chrysalis: 602-944-4999, noabuse.org.
Arizona Coalition to End Sexual & Domestic Violence: 602-279-2980.
In Arizona, people can call the Arizona Coalition to End Sexual and Domestic Violence, 602-279-2900 or 1-800-782-6400 or visit its website, acesdv.org/helpline.
The Phoenix police website, www.phoenix.gov/domesticviolence, has a list of places people can contact in Maricopa County.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Mesa police: Alexander Solano confesses to killing stepfather
