Court records show that on August 2, two men got into a fight over a woman that led to an exchange of fire with BB guns and the death of the father of one of the two men.
Mesa police report that they responded to an area near 90th Street and Broadway Road where they found a man severely injured in a car pedestrian collision. That man later died at the hospital early the next morning.
Police learned there was an ongoing dispute over a woman between the son of the deceased man and 35-year-old Michael James Hostetter.
Witnesses reportedly told police that Hostetter shot the man with a compressed air BB gun in the face and head. The victim contacted his father, informing him of the assault.
Police say the father went to Hostetter's home where he lives with his mother to confront Hostetter.
When Hostetter arrived at the home, he allegedly saw the father striking the mobile home with a baseball bat. Police say Hostetter jumped into the father's Jeep to get the father to get away from his home. He accelerated past the mobile home and the father allegedly ran past the passenger side of the Jeep with the bat raised up. He was struck by the Jeep and was ran over.
Hostetter, who police believe was behind the wheel, ran away and was later located and arrested.
Hostetter reportedly told police that he fired the BB gun in self-defense as he saw the other man reach for his BB gun. Police say both men had wounds consistent with being shot with a BB gun.
Hostetter has been charged with leaving the scene of a deadly crash and unlawful use of a means of transportation.
