In the year 2020, Tyler Cardiel was attacked and killed on his way home. Now, prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for the man accused of killing the 18-year-old.

More than a year has passed while the suspect, Timothy Bell, waits for trial in Maricopa County Jail. He faces multiple charges, including one of premeditated first-degree murder, and his prior felony convictions have been upgraded as a result of this latest incident.

The Mother of Victim Remembers Teen

Now, Monique Cardiel can be found seeking solace in the privacy of Tyler’s old bedroom.

Tyler’s headphones, phone, and radio, all of which he forgot to turn off before leaving the room, are still sitting where he last used them. It’s almost as if Tyler happened to be at home at exactly that time.

Monique remarked, “It’s somewhat of a hallowed spot.” Only I am allowed entry.

Monique has covered her right arm in tattoos in tribute to her first child.

“It’s northwest here, with north and west as the coordinates. The coordinates for the spot where he was slain can be found if you type them into Google Maps “as Monique put it.

The direction Monique mentioned takes her back to the darkest day of her life.

That’s my greatest nightmare, basically,” Monique remarked. My heart bleeds all over again every morning when I remember that he is no longer here.

Tyler Cardiel killed after work

Tyler went to the Circle K on Christmas Eve, 2020, at 83rd Avenue and Indian School.

“When he left for work on Christmas morning, I asked, “You have to go?” because I was feeling down about his spending his first Christmas away from us. Soon after saying, “I’ll be back later,” he turned around and hugged me “To retell the story, let me quote Monique.

Unfortunately, Tyler never made it back home from the holidays.

The fact that Monique’s calls and texts remained unreturned prompted her to suspect something was wrong, she claims. When she went to the Phoenix police station to look for her son, she saw cops and crime tape instead.

After being shot four times, Tyler was no longer with us.

Monique lamented, “I just want I could hold him again and tell him ‘I’m sorry.'” It pains me to admit that I let him down.

Suspect involved in other crimes, police say

Surveillance footage from the Circle K showed the killer just hours before the shooting of Tyler, and for the following week, detectives looked for him there.

The visitor lingered, making more visits before Tyler’s shift ended. The suspect’s clothing was said to match several items found at the convenience shop where the shooting occurred, according to the police.

According to the police, the same individual snatched a gun from a 19-year-old just two days before in an armed robbery that they investigated.

The thief, identified as Jayce Young, stated, “He spun around, pointed the gun at my head and screamed’screw you,’ basically, and fired the trigger” on January 19, 2021. I wouldn’t be here today if I didn’t follow the rule of “never keep a loaded gun in sight unless it’s in a holster.”

Bell, a prohibited possessor, is said to have used the Glock 9mm handgun in the murder of Tyler.

My kid was killed, and I don’t know what happened between the 23rd, when he acquired the pistol, and now,” Monique added. “I mean, seriously, I have no idea. Were any attempts made to track down the person who stole the gun from the kid?”

A week later, after responding to a suicide attempt, police located Bell with a gunshot wound to the head. DNA from garments left at the Christmas murder site matched Bell, and he managed to escape.

“Xmas had arrived. He had finally arrived home. Wanting to know the answer to “why” from him, “Monique made the remark. For example, “why my son?”

Details about the suspect are shown in court documents.

Court documents say that Bell got angry because he was “homeless, it was raining, and he was tired of sleeping in the cold.” This anger led him to shoot someone, the documents say.

Authorities say that Bell has been homeless since at least 2013. Bell has also been arrested and convicted of several felonies, starting with drug crimes and moving on to forgery, misconduct with weapons, and theft. From 2015 to 2017, he spent almost two years in prison.

Bell was arrested again in November 2019 after police in Phoenix said he threatened someone and stole money from them over a burrito. He finally admitted that he had stolen.

Bell could be put to death if convicted for Tyler’s murder

Now, Bell’s troubled past and criminal record will be brought up as “aggravating factors” because the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office recently filed a notice of intent to seek the Death Penalty if he is found guilty of first-degree murder.

Monique did not think this could happen.

“I wouldn’t be against it,” Monique said. “If it does happen, I guess an eye for an eye.”

Monique said it was right, but she says the most important thing is that the person who killed her son be found guilty and sent to prison.

Monique said, “All I want is for him to spend the rest of his life in jail and never walk free again.” “I don’t want him out on the streets where he could hurt someone else.”

The younger brother of Monique and Tyler is getting help right now.

We asked Bell for an interview about the case, but he turned us down. The date for his trial was November 2022.