Bizarre fight sees tenant shoot dead landscaper hired by his landlord to trim his trees
A renter has allegedly shot dead a landscaper hired by his landlord after thinking he was a thief and vandalizer.
Wyatt Ford, 28, is accused of gunning down Manuel Vega Lopez, 51, at around 4:30pm on Monday after a fight in Gilbert, Arizona.
His landlord reportedly told him and his wife a gardener would be stopping by to chop down a tree, which they had acknowledged.
But when he arrived Ford believed he had seen his truck a few days earlier when someone had tried to rob and damage a trailer outside their house.
Their neighbors are believed to have linked the two vehicles and Ford raced out to confront the Mexican native.
Meanwhile his wife had called cops to report the alleged thief was at their home and her husband had armed himself.
While speaking with officer, gunshots rang. She reportedly told the operator her husband had 'just shot him.'
A witness told police after Ford allegedly gunned down the laborer, he screamed for someone to call 911 and said 'I didn't mean to do it.'
Police rushed to the scene, finding Lopez lifeless on the ground in a pool of blood with a bullet through his throat. He was shot at least four times, AZ Central reported.
Ford was arrested and charged with second-degree murder. He is being held at a Maricopa County jail.
Cops also retrieved a black Glock semi-automatic firearm and four spent cartridges. They found Lopez's truck, loaded with landscaping tools.
The investigation is ongoing, police announced in a statement.
Lopez's daughter Manuelita Vega Salazar told ABC15: 'As a daughter, he was the best dad ever. He gave me everything I needed.'
She added that he was the sole caretaker for her mother, who is battling kidney failure and diabetes.
His son has also been grappling with severe health issues, as he has cancer and experiences frequent seizures.
Manuelita Vega Salazar (pictured), Lopez's daughter, said her family depended on him
Manuelita wrote on GoFundMe: 'He was a caring, attentive, respectful and loving husband, father and friend.
'A life full of love, hope, happiness and anything life could offer. He built our family a home not in elegance but in simplicity and contentment.
'As a father, he worked with all his strength in all the ways he could, to earn the income and gave his family all the support he could.'
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