Woman pleads guilty in carjacking that killed returned missionary

Woman pleads guilty in carjacking that killed returned missionary

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FARMINGTON — A West Valley woman has pleaded guilty to robbery for her role in a series of carjackings that ended in a crash killing recently returned missionary Jazmyn Jeppson.

Michelle Jennifer Vigil, 23, pleaded guilty Wednesday to two counts of robbery, a second-degree felony. One of those charges was reduced from a first-degree felony. Sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 17.

Vigil was charged in connection with the first of two carjackings that led to the violent accident that killed Jeppson, 21, in February.

Her boyfriend, Anthony Santos Cruz, 28, is charged with murder for Jeppson's death as well as three counts of aggravated robbery, all first-degree felonies. He is scheduled to appear in court next Wednesday.

Police say Cruz and Vigil forcefully carjacked a vehicle at knifepoint at the intersection of Fairfield and Mutton Hollow roads in Kaysville on Feb. 1 after Vigil stood in the middle of the road to stop the car.

The car broke down on I-15 near Centerville, where a Unified police officer on his way to work stopped to help the couple, not realizing the car was stolen. Police say Cruz walked away from the car and unsuccessfully tried to carjack a vehicle stopped in a freeway traffic jam.

Cruz then carjacked another car, police said, dragging the driver at one point as he continued south on I-15. He sped through a red light at the Centerville exit, slamming into Jeppson's car and killing her, according to charging documents.

Jeppson graduated from Davis High School and attended BYU-Idaho before serving a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Houston, Texas. She had been home from her mission less than two months when she was killed.

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McKenzie Romero

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