Family to bury Phoenix man in Navajo Nation after hit-and-run death, investigation continues
The walk to a convenience store on the evening of Jan. 23 would be like every other time Leandro Antonio picked up his favorite beverage, Dr. Pepper, to take back to his north Phoenix home.
But this time, a vehicle struck the disabled 43-year-old in the area of West Dunlap Avenue near North 19th Avenue and just a few houses from the home he shared with his older brother, Franklin Antonio, 48. After the vehicle fled without stopping to help an injured Leandro, who would die at the scene, his family is grappling with his loss.
They are seeking answers in a case where there are seemingly few clues, along with the little means they have to return his remains to their Navajo homeland in New Mexico.
"He wasn't just some stranger out in the streets. He had a loving family that loved him and they cared for him," Franklin Antonio told The Arizona Republic, adding the person who took Leandro's life must have felt the impact when the vehicle hit him.
More than 20 years ago, Leandro Antonio was shot on the right side of his head when an armed assailant was robbing him. As a result, he could walk but had limited use of his limbs. His injuries led to seizures, which he took prescription drugs to prevent. The incident left him living off disability benefits that kept him without a car.
Despite the challenges he faced, Leandro Antonio strived to contribute to his brother's home by completing housekeeping chores. Addressed as "Dro" by his family, he was a stalwart presence for Franklin's homeschooled 18-year-old son.
"Heartbroken," Franklin Antonio said about his son's reaction to the loss of his uncle.
The entire family has been left shaken, including his parents, six other siblings and several other nephews and nieces.
The family's 69-year-old matriarch is overwhelmed with grief. Mother and son would keep each other company by regularly dining at Cracker Barrel.
"It's hard to see your mom cry," Franklin Antonio said.
Before the shooting, Leandro Antonio had been an avid basketball player and would still hit the court with Franklin at Encanto Park.
That same yearning for independence is why Leandro Antonio would choose not to rely on anyone to pick up snacks or refreshments, just as he was doing when he fell victim to a hit and run.
To stretch his legs and enjoy some daily physical activity, Leandro took walks to the nearby convenience store.
Around 6:12 p.m. the day he was killed, Franklin Antonio received a text message from Leandro telling him, "I'm at the store. I'll be back."
As Franklin approached his home, he saw police sirens and a cluster of people. After parking his truck and walking up to the scene, he noticed the victim had the same ankle brace as Leandro. An anguished Franklin broke into sobs.
Police told him Leandro had already died.
A Jan. 25 police press release stated Leandro Antonio was hit by an "unknown vehicle" around 6:47 p.m. Franklin said police told the family on the day Leandro was killed that there was surveillance video they would be looking into.
The bereaved brother said he saw a vehicle bumper at the scene of the crash.
A week later, Leandro Antonio's family had yet to hear from police about the case despite Franklin and the family's eldest child, their sister, reaching out for updates.
"Right now, we're just sitting in the dark," Franklin Antonio said. "Each day that goes by, it gets further away, the chances of them catching who hit my brother."
In response to a request for comment, Phoenix police told The Republic via email Thursday evening that the case remains under investigation.
As the family waits for a semblance of justice for Leandro, they are trying to honor him and their heritage.
A GoFundMe page was created to raise money that will help arrange for the transportation of Leandro's remains to Counselor, a community in the Navajo Nation in northern New Mexico. The family hopes to bury him where their roots lie, as is customary among the Navajo.
"The dirt that brought him out, we're gonna bury him in it," Franklin Antonio said.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Phoenix man killed in hit-and-run. GoFundMe available to assist burial
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