Heroic High School Student Shot Dead Protecting Pregnant Sister From Her Violent Boyfriend

Heroic High School Student Shot Dead Protecting Pregnant Sister From Her Violent Boyfriend
12/5/2019
Updated:
12/5/2019

A teenage boy who was shot and killed while allegedly defending his pregnant sister is being remembered as a hero by his family.

On the night of Nov. 20, 2019, 20-year-old Crispin Acevedo assaulted his 18-year-old pregnant girlfriend by pushing her to the ground during an altercation at her family’s home in Phoenix, Arizona. He then drew a handgun.

According to AZ Central, Acevedo left the house but returned a few hours later to resume the argument. That’s when the pregnant woman’s brother, 17-year-old Jesus “Jesse” Gutierrez, tried to intervene.

Jesse was shot by Acevedo and taken to hospital after his father called 911. The teen later died from his injuries.

Fox 10’s Justin Lum, who interviewed Jesse’s parents, called Jesse a “family hero” on social media. “Jesse’s mother opened up to me about her only son, just a kid who loved video games and planned to graduate high school at the end of the school year,” he wrote. “She says there’s no way she can forgive the man accused of taking her baby boy’s life.”

Acevedo was arrested the morning after Jesse’s death on charges of possession of a weapon, four counts of aggravated assault, and second-degree murder. He was also held on a US$750,000 cash bond.

Jesse’s parents, John and Rocio, were left reeling. “It’s a nightmare,” Rocio told Fox 10. “[I] never imagined something like this. I still picture that in my head, [Jesse] coming out running and screaming trying to get help, but it was just ugly.”
The teen’s father, John, struggled to reconcile with the news of his son’s death. “I feel like [first responders] didn’t do their job like they were supposed to,” he explained to 12 News. “I feel like they could have gotten here faster.”

Jesse was shot moments before midnight; John believed it took paramedics around 30 minutes to respond to his 911 call.

“When they got here, police said they had to clear the house. The paramedics wouldn’t come inside until police told them,” John regaled. “I kept yelling, ‘The guy is gone, I need a paramedic!’ I was performing CPR because I saw Jesse wasn’t breathing.”

The Phoenix Fire Department confirmed their protocol not to enter a home until the scene is declared safe in the event of a shooting. They also assured 12 News that an ambulance arrived on the scene at 12:03 a.m. and reached Jesse seven minutes later.

Both of Jesse’s parents also managed to channel their grief into consideration for their son’s kindness and bravery.

“For some reason, God blessed me with him,” John reflected. “He was such a good kid [...] He was really quiet, never complained. If I asked him to do something, he would just do it.”

“I was the proudest mom,” Rocio added. “I couldn’t have asked for a better son; he was just like everything to me. He’s my boy, my baby.”

Jesse was a part-time plumber and a brother to five sisters. He enjoyed video games and spent his free time with his family. His mother explained that the family had accepted Acevedo into their home around six months before the shooting.

The brave teen, they added, died helping the sister he was closest to. “He’s an angel,” said Gutierrez’s aunt, speaking to Fox 10, “and he was a superhero here, and now he’s an angel in heaven.”

Jesse’s family and friends held a candlelight vigil for their fallen hero on Nov. 22.