A Tucson man will spend 25 years in prison for the fatal shooting of a man who fought with his son during a pickup basketball game.
Paul John Alvarez Sr. was sentenced to 25 years in prison for first degree murder Friday by Pima County Superior Court Judge Brenden J. Griffin. Alvarez also was sentenced to concurrent terms of six years for two counts of endangerment and 21 years for a drive-by shooting. He will be eligible for community supervision after 25 years.
On October 8, 2018, Baker and Emilio Alvarez, who was 18 at the time, were on opposite teams in a pickup game at the basketball court at Christ Church United Methodist, 655 N. Craycroft Road. Witnesses said Baker repeatedly fouled Emilio and the two exchanged trash talk, the Arizona Daily Star previously reported.
As the situation became more heated, the two began to wrestle and Baker punched Emilio Alvarez in the left ear, knocking out his earring. The teen then walked away and called his dad, asking him to pick him up at a nearby gas station, the Star reported.
The teen told his dad about the fight, telling him to not come to the church. As he began walking to meet his dad, he heard gunshots coming from the church and took cover at a nearby office complex, where he saw his father’s car circle the church twice, the Star reported.
Alvarez said he drove to the church and asked a group of men who had hit his son. Baker, who admitted it was him and apologized, was then shot 12 times, including three bullets to the head, the Star reported.
During Friday’s sentencing, Joshua Moser, the prosecutor, read a letter from Baker’s mother, Elisa. In it, she said Baker could always be counted on and that she missed him more than words could describe.
“Not only did I lose my son, I lost a big part of myself,” the mom said in the letter.
Moser called the incident, “an incredibly traumatic event,” and asked Griffin to issue a natural life sentence for the first degree murder charge.
Nicki Dicampli, Alvarez’s attorney, told the court her client had mental illness and was a good man before it took over. She said no one thought it would ever come to this level.
After his arrest, Alvarez told detectives he “was irritated” and “took it personal” when his son told him about the fight, stating he knew it was wrong to kill Baker, but he felt threatened because there were other men on the basketball court, the Star reported.
Alvarez also told police he was a registered executioner and had previously been to prison for killing people, which wasn’t true, the Star reported.
Since the shooting, the court has gone back and forth deciding whether Alvarez was competent to stand trial.
In April 2022, Pima County Superior Court Judge Michael Butler found that Alvarez was competent to stand trial and proceedings were able to resume. A year later, Alvarez signed a plea agreement and pleaded guilty to first degree murder, drive by shooting and two counts of endangerment.
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