Arizona barber Frankie Carrera Jr. beaten just days before his death, family says
Police are still investigating the robbery, beating and subsequent death of Frankie “Cisco” Carrera Jr., the owner of Black Diamond Cuts barbershop in Casa Grande, who died days after he was assaulted in his store in February.
Detectives are awaiting autopsy results from the county medical examiner to determine if the Feb. 11 assault caused the 36-year-old barber's death in his home Feb. 14.
According to Carrera’s parents, Carrera told his family shortly after the attack that he had been assaulted by two people who slammed him against the wall before throwing him to the floor and kicking him in the face and head.
Anna Carrera, his mother, said she was shocked when she first saw him after the attack. She had no idea her son had been beaten at all before an officer told her at the scene, she said.
“They let me go walk up to my son, and I’m right there, and I said, ‘Wow, oh my gosh.’ I didn’t start screaming. I didn’t want to cry,” she said. “I didn’t want to scare my son more — he was really traumatized. He had really been beaten up badly.”
“I just said, ‘Hi, mijo,’ and started rubbing his back and his shoulders to let him know that I was there, to comfort my son. ... No mom wants to see her son like that.”
Carrera told his family he believed he was assaulted over two wristwatches he bought from a woman who had entered his barbershop earlier that week. Several days later, two men he believed were connected to the woman came to his shop and demanded the watches. Carrera refused to hand them over without a refund, he said.
Police have yet to identify any suspects. Carrera's family said he named the two men during his initial interview with police at the scene.
“I was talking to the police, and the police officers knew about these people doing these things to folks here in town, but nothing was ever done,” said his father, Frankie Carrera Sr.
Carrera, who was found dead inside the master bathroom of his home by his girlfriend Feb. 14, is deeply missed by family.
“Apparently, I lost it when I got the phone call,” Anna Carrera said. “I said, ‘No way. No way. This is a dream. This can’t be real.’ I just lost it.”
“His dad told him to find a different spot to move to, to leave that shop,” she said. “But he loved it there. He said those people were good to him, and he was there for a long time. He was such a good person.”
A funeral was held for Carrera on March 11. Black Diamond Cuts, the barbershop he owned and operated, is closed permanently.
“He was a very kind and compassionate person. ... We all have our own issues and struggles, but he always was there to help someone,” said his cousin, Tisa Rodriquez. “Like, if he saw a homeless person outside of his shop, he would cut their hair for free and not expect anything in return.”
His family is desperately seeking answers.
“He was just the biggest clown,” Rodriquez said. “He always had us laughing. And his death is felt. And he is missed very much. And we just want to know what happened. We just want to know who did it, why they did it.”
Written By Brock Blasdell