MARICOPA COUNTY, Arizona — The family member of a murder victim is accused of attacking the defendant during a sentencing hearing.
Alberto Ontiveros-Sanchez was arrested and appeared in court himself hours later.
This played out Wednesday as the defendant, 33-year-old Abel Uribe, waited to hear his sentence.
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Back in December 2022, ABC15 reported that 27-year-old David Navidad-Parra was on military leave when he was killed while trying to sell a car.
Navidad-Parra was found shot in Phoenix.
Police said there was another call earlier about a man missing while providing a test drive during a private vehicle sale, and officers later confirmed the missing person was Navidad-Parra.
Uribe was arrested shortly after and faced a long list of charges in the case.
Nearly four years later, in August 2026, the defendant took a plea deal.
This week, family members spoke in court remembering Navidad-Parra.
Ontiveros-Sanchez told the judge how great of a husband Navidad-Parra was to his daughter.
As he walked away from the podium, court documents allege he attacked Uribe and hit him four to five times.
What played out was caught on the court's cameras. The video was obtained by the ABC15 Investigators on Thursday.
COURTROOM CHAOS: A Phoenix father caught on camera, accused of attacking the defendant in a murder case. The man, Alberto Ontiveros Sanchez, was the victim's (David Navidad-Parra) father-in-law. Sentencing for 33-year-old Abel Uribe did ultimately continue, and Ontiveros Sanchez… pic.twitter.com/Mjlynt1DDZ
— Ashley Holden (@ashleyvholden) September 25, 2026
The sentencing was paused, and the courtroom was mostly cleared.
Ontiveros-Sanchez was arrested and hours later had his initial appearance.
His attorney, Christian Lueders, spoke on his behalf.
"After, Mr. Ontiveros-Sanchez gave his remarks at the podium, he was very emotional," said Lueders. "He came back and saw that the defendant who was there to be sentenced was laughing, snickering, and he lost it."
Lueders said his client had no criminal history and asked Ontiveros-Sanchez be released on his own recognizance.
"I personally cannot imagine the emotions you were feeling today, but we cannot tolerate that kind of conduct in court," said the judge.
Ultimately, Ontiveros-Sanchez was released by the judge. Uribe's sentencing was able to resume.
The defendant apologized to Navidad-Parra's family before being sentenced to the terms of the plea agreement. The deal included life with the possibility of release after 25 years for the murder charge, followed by a term of between 17 to 20 years for kidnapping.
The judge over the case sentenced Uribe to the maximum under the agreement for the kidnapping charge.
ABC15 reached out to the Maricopa County Attorney's Office regarding Ontiveros-Sanchez's arrest.
MCAO said they had not received a charging submittal.
The 55-year-old was booked in on multiple charges, including aggravated assault.
Due to MCAO prosecutors being present during the alleged assault, ABC15 was told the Gila County Attorney's Office would be taking any over any potential prosecution.
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