Family seeks answers in fatal south Phoenix shooting in 2022; reward increased to $12,000

PHOENIX – A South Phoenix family hopes to find answers in a fatal shooting in a neighborhood near South Mountain in August 2022.

One of the victim's sisters spoke on August 22 about how a recent donation can help get someone to talk.

What started as a party near 27th Street and South Mountain Road escalated into a three-person shooting that left two 21-year-old cousins ​​dead and a third person injured.

Although the shooting took place in a crowded setting, no arrests were ever made in this case.

“It’s like we’re reliving the first day, which we keep rediscovering,” said Xena Shikenjanski.

Nearly two years after Robert Puentes and his cousin Xavier Martinez were shot and killed at a party, their families are still searching for answers.

Puentes' sister Shikenjanski says he had a bright future, but now both young men will be 21 forever.

“The worst thing about these last two years is just the amount of things he missed,” said Shikenjanski. “His siblings' graduation, his nieces' first day at school, two birthdays.”

Now, on Puentes' birthday, his sister said a close family friend recently donated $10,000 as a reward for information related to the shooting.

“This increased the reward to $12,000. So we're trying to encourage people there who know something but don't want to talk about it or don't want to be labeled as informants to say something, even if it's anonymous,” Shikenjanski said.

She says her family doesn't want to spend another of his birthdays trying to find closure.

“Do the right thing. Put yourself in our shoes, you know? This could be their brother, their cousin, their son. There are parents who knew their children weren't home that day, or young adults, and they knew they were at a party. Encourage your children or whoever you know to say something,” Shikenjanski pleaded.

If you have any information that could help solve the case, please contact Silent Witness at 480-WITNESS or the Phoenix Police Department's non-emergency line at 602-262-6151.