A Phoenix father has been accused of beating a man to death after the victim had tried to force his way into a bathroom stall occupied by the suspect's teenage daughter.

Melvin Harris has been jailed on $100,000 bond on suspicion of second-degree murder following the death of Leon Armstrong.

According to the Phoenix Police Department, on the night of August 2, Harris was picking up his 16-year-old daughter and her two friends from work when they asked him to stop off at the QuikTrip convenience store on 19th Avenue to buy soft drinks and use the restroom.

Dad charged: Melvin Harris (left), 40, has been charged with second-degree murder in the beating of Leon Armstrong (right) in Phoenix earlier this month

Harris was at this QuikTrip convenience store with his 16-year-old daughter when he was informed that Armstrong had tried to barge in on the teen in the bathroom

Harris' 16-year-old daughter is pictured above with her mother, Diana Jackson, earlier this year

While he was waiting in the parking lot, Harris was approached by a man, later identified as Armstrong, who asked him for money.

Harris handed the panhandler some cash, and Armstrong went inside the store, reported ABC15.

A short time later, Harris was informed that Armstrong tried to barge into the bathroom stall in the women's restroom that his daughter was using by shaking the door.

Harris and his daughter told store employees what had happened, and according to court documents, the father urged a security guard at the QuikTrip to 'take care of the situation, or he would do it himself'.

The guard assured Harris that he would handle the matter.

As Harris, his daughter and her friends were leaving, the dad again spotted Armstrong, and got out of the car and confronted him.

Witnesses said the 40-year-old punched Armstrong in the face, causing him to collapse. Once he was down, the assailant allegedly proceeded to kick and stomp on him.

Harris then got back in his car and drove home, leaving the gravely injured victim moaning on the ground.

Witnesses told police Harris (pictured in court) punched Armstrong in the face, then kicked and stomped on him

Diana Jackson (pictured left) has defended her fiance, arguing that Harris (pictured left and right) was merely protecting their daughter

Jackson (right) told reporters she was sorry that Armstrong has died, but she was not mad at her future husband (left)

When police tracked down Harris and questioned him, the man reportedly admitted to punching Armstrong, but insisted that the man had hit him in the neck first.

Harris also claimed he did not recall striking Armstrong as he lay on the ground.

Armstrong was taken to a hospital to be treated for brain swelling and a broke nose, but he died from his injuries five days later.

Harris' fiancee, Diana Jackson, defended her groom-to-be in an interview with 3TV/CBS5, arguing that he was merely protecting their daughter.

'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 the station.

Jackson went so far as to say that she would have done the same as her fiance, but she conceded that she does feel bad that Armstrong 'ended up dying in the process.'

Jackson (left) defended Harris on Facebook, claiming that store security and police had failed to act in order to protect her daughter from Armstrong

Jackson's furious Facebook rant defending Harris' actions is seen above

On Tuesday, Harris' bride-to-be posted a furious, foul-mouthed screed on her Facebook page defending her fiance's actions and criticizing both the security guard at the store and the police.

'Security ain't s*** & the police ain't either cuz they knew this man had a problem they said that he did this s*** three times that day and nobody did s*** about it,' Jackson wrote. 'FUCC OFF HE IS OUR HERO TEAM MELVIN!!!!!!!!'

Armstrong had a history of run-ins with the law related to shoplifting, trespassing and obstructing police, according to his criminal record.