We begin tonight with the 11th murder in the past 18 days. It happened in the Gungulung area of Lake Independence around 9:00, where 34-year-old Darrel Alvarez was fatally shot only a stone's throw from his house.
Alvarez was, by all accounts, not a troublemaker so his family is confused as to why someone would target him. But while they're trying to piece together the mystery of who killed their brother and son, they say the family is being harassed by the police.
Today Courtney Menzies visited their family yard and spoke with them. Here is that story.
34-year-old Darrel Alvarez usually filled his water from his sister's house, which adjoins his. But last night, he decided to go to the nearby public pipe, and that decision cost him his life.
Alvarez was gunned down while getting the water, his blood still staining the area near the pipe. It was a ruthless murder of a man caught totally off guard. His family says with certainty that he wasn't involved in gang activity.
In fact, Alvarez had just fought to gain custody of his 7-month-old daughter from Social Services, and as his sister held the baby, she explained that when she heard the shots, she never thought it would be her brother.
Joanna Alvarez, Sister of Deceased
"Last night, I was already in my bed, already asleep, I heard the three shots but I didn't get up. I lay down in my bed until after a good while, I heard my sister crying so I told my boyfriend, something's wrong, it's my sister who's crying. And then my son came to me and said, ma, it's uncle. So I hurry put on the light in my house and look for clothes and put on the clothes and come outside. all I could have seen was my brother, laid out there by the pipe."
"He was just going for water and they chance my brother out of his life. They chanced him, they took away my brother from his kids. He was all for his kids, everybody knew that, he go all out for his kids. He doesn't play with his kids, he is everything for his kids. And they know that."
A father, brother, and eldest son - but not a gangster. His sister emphasized that Alvarez's main form of employment was as a construction worker.
Joanna Alvarez, Sister of Deceased
"He wasn't into any kind of gang, my brother never ever pull a gun, never ever. He's a building man, he build house, fix things and so. He helped his neighbor Sunday morning to help build his fence. I watched my brother helping to build my neighbor fence. my brother was no gunman."
"He was a loving brother, a sickening brother, everything in one. We used to call him the seventh sister because he always wanted to be with the six sisters, just hanging out and talking fool and giving us jokes and cussing us out and tell we all kind of things. He was a loving brother. And always want put you and tell you who your kids' dads are, he always know who breed you. That is the brother."
And while the family has their suspicions as to why Alvarez may have been killed, they're waiting for the outcome of the police's investigation. But they've been put on edge since another brother has reportedly been detained.
Joanna Alvarez, Sister of Deceased
"Right now, all that we're trying to do is to stay strong for my ma, that's all we're trying to do. But they hurt us bad, they hurt us. Then the police picked up my other brother. For what? We're already grieving?"
But until they get their answers, this family is just trying to cope with the sudden and immense loss of their eldest brother.
And Alvarez's six children - two of whom live with him - will also now grow up without their father.
No arrested have been made.
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