Phoenix (KPHO/Gray News) – Two young men in Arizona were found dead of apparent carbon monoxide poisoning in the Chandler area on Tuesday.

One of the men was 18-year-old Romeo Alvarez. His family says they are in shock.

Loved ones said Alvarez helped care for his mother and younger sisters for years after his father died when he was a baby.

He recently graduated from Dobson High School and gave a special shout-out to his mother.

“I always try to be the best in everything I do, and that’s because he always pushes me to give 130%,” he said.

Family members said everyone celebrated Alvarez’s mother’s birthday together last Sunday. The 18-year-old left for a friend’s house later that night but never came home.

When no one could contact him Monday, the family reported Alvarez missing to Chandler and police at Arizona State University, where he attended school.

Thanks to cellphone location data, the family tracked Alvarez’s location to an apartment complex in Chandler.

Around 3 a.m. Tuesday, police found him and his 17-year-old friend dead in a garage.

The family believes the two died of accidental carbon monoxide poisoning.

“If they were hanging out in that garage and spending time listening to music and being stuffy, maybe if the windows were open, who knows,” said Eilian Castaneda, Alvarez’s cousin.

There are still many questions as detectives continue to investigate what happened that night, but those close to Alvarez hope others will learn to never start a car in a garage.

“Carbon monoxide can destroy you in minutes, maybe seconds,” Castaneda said.

A. GoFundMe It has since been established to assist with Alvarez’s funeral expenses.

A note sent to Chandler High School families identified the 17-year-old boy who died as Marcus Lee.

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