GLENDALE, AZ – A man is in custody following a fatal altercation involving a knife at a Glendale apartment complex late Saturday night. Officers from the Glendale Police Department arrived at the scene around 9:30 p.m. on March 16, prompted by reports of a fight between neighbors near 67th and Glendale Avenues. According to police statements, the argument swiftly turned violent, culminating in one man assaulting the other with a knife.
The stabbing victim, identified as 49-year-old Ismael Mejias IV, was promptly transported to a nearby hospital but tragically passed away shortly upon arrival.
In the aftermath of the incident, the Glendale SWAT team successfully captured the alleged attacker, 50-year-old Michael Espinoza Jr., on suspicion of the crime. Espinoza Jr., presently in custody, faces a charge of second-degree murder.
Court documents intriguingly revealed that the victim’s cell phone had recorded the altercation, capturing Espinoza Jr. issuing a chilling threat to Mejias, stating, “You’re dead.”
In a subsequent police interview, Espinoza Jr.’s narrative reportedly changed multiple times. Initially, he denied having any dispute with Mejias. Later, he claimed self-defense, asserting that Mejias, armed with a knife and uttering racial slurs, attacked him. Espinoza Jr. admitted to disarming Mejias and hitting him in the chin with the knife’s handle but categorically denied stabbing him.