Search scaled back, charges filed against suspected shooter


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MOAB -- An arrest warrant has been issued for the man suspected of shooting a Utah state park ranger last Friday.

Lance Arellano is being charged with first-degree attempted murder and bail has been set at $1 million.

Meanwhile, the Grand County Sheriff's Office has decided to scale back the search for Arellano. He is still considered armed and dangerous and probably injured, but so far law enforcement have come up empty handed.

Grand County Sheriff Jim Nyland said, "Sure, they're upset. Everybody out there wanted to locate this individual, and a lot of them really didn't want to leave the area, but considering everything that's taken place over the last day and a half, until we get another lead, there's no reason to have that many people in the area."

Tuesday, searchers focused a lot of their efforts in the Caveman Ranch area off Potash Road just outside of Moab.

Lance Leeroy Arellano
Lance Leeroy Arellano

They looked around large boulders, in some cracks and gullies in the landscape, and also into some caves and overhangs that are in the area. The terrain is very rugged.

Nyland said there were still a few places for searchers to look in the Caveman Ranch area, but he expected those places to be checked during Tuesday's search efforts.

"If he's alive, he'll get caught," said San Juan County Sheriff Mike Lacy. "No doubt about that."

San Juan County was just one of many search teams helping Grand County. Kane County also helped out in the search.

Kane County Sheriff Lamont Smith said when he heard Sheriff Nyland needed help, he didn't hesitate.

"We didn't think about it for a second," said Smith. "They needed our help, and we got there as fast as we could."

Sheriff Smith knows what one of these searches is like.

This past August, Kane County Deputy Brian Harris was shot and killed chasing a burglary suspect. The manhunt for his accused killer lasted four days in the desert outside Kanab, Utah, and Fredonia, Ariz.

"This past year has hurt us. It's been a bad year for law enforcement agencies throughout the state," said Smith. "We've lost too many good people. I'd like to just start this year all over, if we could."

As for park ranger Brody Young, the man who was shot three times, he continues to be in serious but stable condition at a Grand Junction, Colo., hospital.

Moab's mayor says the community is looking forward to having him back and will support him any way they can.

"This community, it never ceases to amaze me," said Moab Mayor David Sakrison. "We come together, even though it's a diverse community as you well know, but we do come together; and this is one of the events that has brought the community together."

A fund for Young has been set up at any Wells Fargo bank branch.

There are also blood drives being organized in the Moab community.

"Brody is a great guy," said Sakrison. "This has really affected out small town. It's all over town. You can go anywhere and it's the topic of conversation right now."

E-mail: acabrero@ksl.com

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