Phoenix man allegedly choked neighbor to death over ‘stolen’ car keys later found in his own pocket

The Brief

  • Phoenix resident Josiah Mahape is being held on a $1 million bond for allegedly murdering his neighbor during a dispute over a rental car.
  • Police discovered the missing rental car keys inside Mahape’s own pants pocket after he reportedly confessed to the fatal confrontation.

PHOENIX A 28-year-old Phoenix man is being held on a $1 million cash bond after allegedly choking his neighbor to death during a drunken dispute over a missing rental car.

What we know:

Newly released court documents detail the violent confrontation that left 40-year-old George Fuentes dead in his apartment near 38th Street and McDowell Road early Wednesday morning. The suspect, Josiah Aries Mahape, allegedly confessed to holding Fuentes in a fatal chokehold, mistakenly believing the victim had taken his rental car keys — which police later found in Mahape’s own pants pocket.

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