Central Phoenix fight leaves 1 dead

PHOENIX — A man died three days after he suffered head injuries in a “late-night brawl” outside of a bar in central Phoenix, according to officials with the city’s police department. 

Off-duty officers were working at the bar, near North Central Avenue and Fillmore Street, on March 16 when a large fight broke out in the street outside of the business, officials said. 

Officers were alerted to a man who was lying on the ground and noted he was unconscious but breathing, officials said.

The man, identified as 22-year-old Rafael Montoya, was rushed to the hospital with severe head trauma, police said. He died three days later. 

Detectives interviewed multiple people involved in the fight but no arrests have been made, according to officials. Evidence from the scene was processed and detectives also spoke to multiple witnesses. 

Officials are now looking for surveillance video showing what happened, the department said. 

“Detectives believe there are more individuals out there who possibly captured video footage of the incident,” a statement from the Phoenix Police Department said. “The Department is asking those individuals to come forward and share that footage with investigators.”

Anyone with information can submit a tip via Silent Witness. 

The investigation is ongoing. 

Arizona’s Silent Witness program allows people to send in tips and share information about crimes happening within their local communities. 

The program shares unsolved felony case information in multiple ways, including TV, radio and social media. 

Anyone who has information on a crime or recognizes a suspect described by the program is asked to call 480-948-6377, go to the program’s website online or download the Silent Witness app to provide a tip. The identity of anyone who submits a tip is kept anonymous. 

Calls to Silent Witness are answered 24/7 by a live person and submitted tips are accepted at all times. Submitted tips are then sent to the detective(s) in charge of the specific case. 

Individuals who submit tips that lead to an arrest or indictment in the case can get a reward of up to $1,000. 

Have a tip? Submit it on the Silent Witness tip form here. 

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