A Phoenix community is reeling after a lethal attack claimed the life of a local man last week. The incident occurred in the parking lot of an apartment complex near 16th Street and Thomas Road, where 35-year-old Ethan Jaaziel Felix was hit by a car and then stabbed. The suspect, 38-year-old Miguel Preciado Jr., reportedly did not know Felix before the attack, as per AZFamily.
Miguel Preciado Jr. is currently facing a first-degree murder charge for Felix's death. Walking out of his apartment, Preciado Jr. backed his vehicle into Felix, pinning him between their cars, before stabbing him with a screwdriver, as detailed by AZFamily. This account comes from a witness present during the time of the attack. The same witness supplied the police with the suspect's license plate number, which helped in tracking down Preciado Jr. within days of the incident. On the evening of the incident, the suspect was last seen driving away from the complex, leaving Felix gravely wounded on the pavement.
Following the horrific act, investigators managed to locate surveillance footage that shows Preciado moving in and out of his apartment, seemingly fixated on the area where the victim and a friend were working on a car. The tape then captures the moment Preciado reverses his car, striking Felix, and then proceeds to stab him multiple times. According to a statement obtained by AZFamily, Phoenix police further detailed that the suspect admitted to "hearing voices" before the attack and could not explain his motives.
Three days after the brutal killing, the suspect's vehicle was located in the desert near Saguaro National Park east of Tucson. The arrest came shortly after Preciado Jr. called 911, complaining of dehydration, as reported by FOX 10 Phoenix. Once located by firefighters, Preciado Jr. spontaneously confessed to committing a murder in Phoenix. Pima County sheriff’s deputies responded to the call and were able to detain the suspect without further incident, later transporting him back to Phoenix where he was officially charged and booked.
Ethan Jaaziel Felix was remembered as a father of five and a man with a talent for music whose personality could light up a room, Breon Felix, the victim's older brother, told AZFamily. To assist with the funeral costs and to support his children, a GoFundMe campaign was established. Anyone with further information on the case is encouraged to contact Silent Witness at 480-WITNESS, with the possibility of a reward and the option to remain anonymous.
