Police say a California dad shopping for last-minute gifts on Christmas Eve was stabbed to death in front of his young son in the toy section of a Target.
According to authorities and witness statements, Tyrone Griffin Jr. was fatally injured after he got into a confrontation with two men. Griffin’s girlfriend reportedly said that the 36-year-old father was stabbed after he asked the men to turn down the loud music they were playing on a cell phone, which included explicit lyrics.
The confrontation grew heated and one of the men stabbed Griffin, according to a police report obtained by PEOPLE. He was rushed to a nearby hospital where he later died.
Last-Minute Shopping
Griffin was raising four children with his girlfriend, Nicole Simmons. She said they were doing an inventory of their Christmas gifts on Saturday night when he realized that his daughter, Jade, had one fewer gift than the other children. The family headed to Target.
Simmons told The East Bay Times that she had been told all went well until Griffin asked the men to turn down the music, which was inappropriate for children. A fight ensued. The couple’s 4-year-old son witnessed the entire altercation.
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Police tell PEOPLE they don’t yet know what led up to the confrontation, but they say that there is nothing in their investigation that is inconsistent with the family’s account.
“What type of person would take a life in front of a child?” Simmons wrote on the family’s GoFundMe page. “My children are fatherless because of a thoughtless act of rage. Something that could have been totally avoided just by walking away.”
Two Arrests
The Hayward Police Department confirms that two suspects have been arrested in connection with the homicide. The two men are brothers and have been identified as 22-year-old Frankie Archuleta and 25-year-old Jesse Archuleta.
They were booked into Hayward City Jail and are being held without bond on suspicion of murder. They have not yet entered a plea and it was not immediately clear if they have retained attorneys.
They are expected to appear in court later this week. Griffin’s family could not be reached.
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