Daughter, Fiancee Speak out on Dad Accused of Beating Man to Death

Melvin Harris charged with second-degree murder in alleged bathroom stall break-in beating

The daughter of an Arizona father has spoken out after he allegedly beat another man to death in a parking lot for trying to enter a bathroom stall his daughter was using.

Her father was “protecting me,” Melvin Harris’ 16-year-old daughter told CBS News on Aug. 16. Her name wasn’t released to the public.

“Now someone’s dead. And now everyone’s coming at me like I did something to him,” the daughter told CBS, adding that she regrets telling her dad what had happened.

Harris is accused of killing Leon Armstrong earlier this month at a QuikTrip store in Phoenix. Reports said that the girl told her father that Armstrong tried to enter the bathroom stall she was in. Over the incident, he was charged with second-degree murder.

When she told her father what had happened, he went to an on-site security guard and told him “to take care of the situation or he would do it himself. Security told him they would handle the situation,” CBS reported.

“Security was like, ‘Oh, yeah, we don’t play that. That’s the third time he did that. We’re gonna [expletive] him up if you don’t do it,’” the daughter said.

Later, Harris allegedly approached Armstrong and punched him in the face, causing him to hit the ground. While Armstrong was down, Harris then “struck the victim in the face several more times and also kicked and stopped [sic] on him,” CBS reported.

After the incident, Harris allegedly fled the scene and was later arrested at his home, according to Inside Edition. He admitted to police that he punched Armstrong in the face, but he said that he only swung because Armstrong attacked him first. Harris also denied hitting Armstrong while he was down.

Harris is accused of beating Leon Armstrong, pictured, earlier this month at a QuikTrip. Maricopa County Sheriff's Department

More Family Members Speak Out

Armstrong’s aunt said that he suffered from schizophrenia. “I don’t think anybody can be prepared to hear that type of news that someone just was so cruel,” Kathilena Johnson told CBS of the slain man.

“Though he did have some mental illness, he was never a person that was considered a pedophile of any sort,” Johnson said.

Armstrong has a criminal record, including trespassing, shoplifting, and obstruction of justice, AZFamily reported.

Diana Jackson, Harris’ fiancee, said he was protecting the girl.

“I’m not mad at him. I don’t feel like he did anything wrong. I love him. He did what he was supposed to do for our kid. You cannot tell someone they’re wrong for protecting their children,” Jackson told AZFamily.com. “The only thing that goes through my mind is, what [if he] got in?” said Jackson about the alleged bathroom stall break-in attempt.

Harris is being held on $100,000 bond.

“But now he’s a criminal for protecting his child? That’s not fair. It’s not,” Jackson stated.

“And it’s sad because nobody should’ve died,” Jackson told CBS. “She was supposed to be able to go in there and use the restroom and get her a fountain drink and go home,” he said.