Suspects in Slaying of Teen Boxing Champ Alexis Urbina Wanted His Cell Phone, Laptop | Valley Fever | Phoenix | Phoenix New Times | The Leading Independent News Source in Phoenix, Arizona
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Suspects in Slaying of Teen Boxing Champ Alexis Urbina Wanted His Cell Phone, Laptop

Phoenix police arrested two young men suspected of killing 17-year-old boxing champion Alexis Urbina in September.According to court documents obtained by New Times, 22-year-old Robert Chavez and 23-year-old Joseph Corrales are accused of killing Urbina so they could steal his cell phone, laptop computer, and other electronics from him...
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Phoenix police arrested two young men suspected of killing 17-year-old boxing champion Alexis Urbina in September.

According to court documents obtained by New Times, 22-year-old Robert Chavez and 23-year-old Joseph Corrales are accused of killing Urbina so they could steal his cell phone, laptop computer, and other electronics from him.

See also:
-Alexis Urbina, 17-Year-Old Boxing Champ, Killed in Phoenix

Urbina, who attended South Mountain High School, was found unconscious by his mother at their house near Fourth Street and Broadway Road. He later died from blunt-force trauma injuries sustained during an assault, according to court documents.

Weeks later, police were contacted by an anonymous tipster who heard two men talking about selling Alexis' cell phone.


In October, a woman went to police and said that Chavez tried to sell her a cell phone, computer, and TV. While looking at photos on the phone, she saw pictures of Urbina, whom she knew from the neighborhood.

The woman said that Chavez admitted that he and a friend robbed Urbina at his home.

Meanwhile, another person came forward to police and said Corrales tried to sell him things that belonged to Urbina, and that man said Corrales admitted that he "did something bad and he hurt somebody," according to court documents.

Chavez, who calls himself "Zero" (how fitting?), was arrested on a misdemeanor warrant, but he refused to answer the cops' questions about Urbina's killing.

However, according to court documents, Corrales did answer questions. He admitted to assaulting Urbina, with help from Chavez, before stealing his electronics, and driving away.

Chavez and Corrales were both booked into jail on charges of first-degree murder, burglary, and trafficking and stolen property. Bond was set at $1 million each.

Urbina, an Olympic hopeful, was part of the USA youth national boxing team, and won the national title in the youth 141-pound division earlier this year, when he was 16.

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Follow Matthew Hendley on Twitter at @MatthewHendley.


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