Mesa man arrested after allegedly shooting, killing stepfather at their home

PHOENIX — A Mesa man was arrested Thursday afternoon after allegedly shooting his stepfather in the head that morning, authorities said.

Officers responded to a residential area near Broadway Road and Val Vista Drive around 4:30 a.m. after a caller reported that her husband had been killed, the Mesa Police Department said.

The caller said she was sleeping when two gunshots woke her up. She went to the living room and found her husband, 61-year-old Darryl Hynek, dead in his recliner.

Detectives learned that the victim’s stepson, 43-year-old Alexander Solano, lived in the home, but he wasn’t there when they arrived to investigate.

Family members said Hynek and Solano didn’t get along well and recently argued about the stepson paying rent, according to police.

When, where did Mesa police locate murder suspect?

Detectives collected evidence that implicated Solano in the shooting.

The suspect was located near Country Club and University drives and taken into custody around 2:30 p.m.

According to court records, he admitted to police he shot Hynek twice and threw the gun in a nearby canal.

“Alexander stated he was willing to accept responsibility for his actions and advised that sometimes people just reach a breaking point,” the probable cause statement for Solano’s arrest says.

Solano was booked into the Mesa Police holding facility on counts of second-degree murder, prohibited weapon possession and tampering with evidence.

Follow @KTAR923