Family of Glendale Brothers killed while sleeping, urges justice

Glendale, Az – The family of Albert Gonzales and Juan Gomez still lacks almost six years after the brothers' death in Glendale.

On August 18, 2019, they were shot while staying with a friend.

The Glendale police said the brothers were shot around 5:30 a.m.

Her family turned to ABC15 when she urged answers and justice.

“My brothers are missing,” said her sister Desiree Cota. “We miss them every day.”

She still hopes that one day you will receive the answers to the questions that follow your family.

Gonzales was 30 years old and Gomez 28 years old in 2019. They had seven children between the two.

“Not only were they my protectors, they were funny,” said Desiree.

“They were both fathers, so I always admired them because they were the fathers they were,” said her brother Tony Cota.

They were part of a narrow family who was still dealing with what happened.

“It was like the most difficult to ever go through,” said the brothers' mother, Teresa Cota. “As a mother, you don't want something like this to happen to your children.”

The shootout occurred in the house of a friend in Glendale near the 63rd Avenue and in Maryland. The family lively remembers the day of shooting.

“I remember that I received a call from my cousin and then didn't believe what she said,” said Tony.

In 2019, ABC15 covered the shooting and a family car wash when they worked to collect money for two funerals.

“We haven't really learned a lot of details,” said Desiree. “We have just been recommended that they were slept and killed.”

The family said that the focus at that time was the honor of their loved ones and put them to rest. The group said that the reality was used.

Years later, the ABC15 family announced that they still feel “broken”.

“Because we know that someone knows something,” said Desiree. “We know that someone heard something, someone saw something, and that's why we're here today.”

ABC15 sat down with the Glendale police to get an update over the case. We were told that their detective was hit with the family in early 2025.

“In this case it is of interest and the case is still active,” said Officer Moroni Mendez. “So we still examine.”

He said that there were no greater indications, but detective believe that someone knows something.

“I know that detectives, as I said, believe that there are people who have a lot of information for this special case,” said Officer Mendez. “And they check people who pick up people again.”

The hope is a leadership that could catapult the case forward.

The police and family ask everyone with information to report anonymously through silent witnesses.

“We do everything and everything we can do to just get something, even if it's just the smallest tip,” said Desiree

The family hopes that this year they will be able to work on a reward for information and continue to be able to push for answers.

“We won't stop until we get justice,” said Teresa.