Mesa teen was killed the day after 18th birthday. A Gilbert man has been charged with his murder

A weathered baseball glove rests on a fireplace mantle at Mark Jacobo’s cul-de-sac home in Mesa. The leather mitt is a reminder of Jacobo’s youngest of three sons, Stephen.

The amiable Red Mountain High School senior was killed the early morning of Nov. 6, 2022, at a west Mesa gathering celebrating his 18th birthday. After prosecutors accepted second-degree murder charges against Joe Jetha Rim, the 21-year-old Gilbert resident with multiple criminal convictions was taken into custody on Jan. 19 — the second time in the fatal shooting case.

The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office rejected charges brought forth a few days following the shooting. Prosecutors again declined to take the case even after a new witness emerged that first month after the shooting. Charging documents filed Jan. 19 reveal police found two additional witnesses to the crime scene, apparently leading to Rim's latest arrest.

Stephen Jacobo's parents, Mark Jacobo, 48, and Alma Antolin, 48, recently sat down with The Arizona Republic and shared memories of their son and details from the case against his accused killer.

"Our son deserves his justice. His killer belongs behind bars," Mark Jacobo said he told a detective on the case at one point during the long stretch of waiting for prosecution against Rim.

An unfolding case

Stephen sought out friendships at school with kids no one sat with. He would cheer up his friends when they seemed glum. And he always offered to help clean up after a meal with friends at their homes. These are the memories his friends and their parents and his teachers shared with Stephen’s mom and dad.

The genial attitude Stephen held through life led to the circumstances surrounding his death, Mark Jacobo said.

A witness told police that Stephen was shot after he approached Rim about the 10 mm handgun holstered on his waistband at an apartment on West Emelita Avenue near South Dobson Road and West Southern Avenue, initial charging documents detail.

Mark Jacobo said he heard from witnesses that his son questioned Rim about the firearm, asking him, "Why do you have that? We're all friends here. We're all having a good time."

"You wanna see what I got," a witness said Rim told Stephen before firing at him, charging documents show.

Rim fled but was apprehended by police some days later when two witnesses identified his driver's license photo in a lineup, according to court documents.

Marco Jacobo said prosecutors took up the case because two witnesses came forward months later.

Court documents show one witness who spoke with detectives in July said Rim returned to the crime scene shortly after the shooting in search of bullet casings. A second person who also spoke with detectives in July witnessed Rim shooting Stephen, according to charging documents.

The gathering where the shooting took place was made up of several people, according to court documents. But fear kept witnesses from agreeing to take the stand in a trial against Rim, Mark Jacobo said detectives told him. Some of the potential witnesses had threats lobbed at them by Rim's friends, Mark Jacobo added.

Prior to the shooting, Rim had been convicted of aggravated assault, aggravated assault on law enforcement, assault, aggravated robbery, theft, criminal damage and disorderly conduct, according to court records.

Having grown up in west Phoenix, Mark Jacobo said he moved to the East Valley to start a family with Antolin, the mother of his children. Divorced for the last 10 years, Jacobo and Antolin remain on friendly terms and share parenting duties over their surviving sons, Markie Jacobo, 23, and Dominik Jacobo, 21. The family patriarch now sees the affluence in the area may have led to a recent uptick in youth violence.

"These are spoiled kids that have nothing to do but be on social media all day and learn how to be a gang member," Mark Jacobo said. "These are kids that grew up in good neighborhoods, that have everything (and) that think it's just cool to just beat up on kids."

A boy with goals

Stephen was a perpetual straight-A student. The family feared he would forever lose the keen intelligence he exhibited since early childhood when he suffered a brain injury from a car crash at 12. The boy would have to learn how to walk again.

After a year, Stephen fully recovered and retained a gift his parents said he had for music — a talent that matured into DJing, singing and songwriting through the years. Antolin said her son discussed wanting to be a music producer, adding in between tears that her son "had a dream he was looking forward to."

An industrious teen, Stephen had been working several months at a Little Caesars and, with some financial help from his mom, he had purchased a light blue 2005 Chrysler 300.

Looking at Stephen’s old glove, Mark Jacobo grew quiet. He fought back tears before sharing how his son had always loved baseball, but the injuries from years ago appeared to have dashed his prospects of ever playing the sport again. But Stephen was determined to hit the baseball diamond again during his senior year.

"Dad, I want to try out for the baseball team," Stephen had told his dad.

Father and son played catch during the fall semester to prepare him. If Stephen did not make the team, Mark Jacobo at least knew he could soon find a spot for him elsewhere.

"(Stephen) was so excited because he was gonna start playing with dad in his softball league," Antolin said as she wept.

Reach breaking news reporter Jose R. Gonzalez at jose.gonzalez@gannett.com or on X, formerly Twitter: @jrgzztx.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Stephen Jacobo died day after he turned 18. A man has been charged