Husband called to confront man accused of murdering his wife, police say


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MAGNA — After his common-law wife was killed and his 5-year-old daughter nearly suffocated, Steven Arceo called the man who he believed had just been inside his Magna house, Jason Alan Black.

"He spoke to Jason and asked him about his wife. Jason denied being there and hung up on Steven. Steven kept calling and the phone would ring but there was no answer," police wrote in a newly released search warrant affidavit filed in 3rd District Court.

Not long after, members of the Violent Fugitive Apprehension Strike Team from the U.S. Marshals Office found Black at his parents' South Jordan house and attempted to arrest him for the shooting death of Arceo's wife, Natalia Casagrande, 24.

Agents encountered Black in the hallway where he brandished a firearm and a "gun battle" erupted, according to police. Black was shot several times and taken to a local hospital in critical condition.

He was later charged with aggravated murder, attempted aggravated murder, aggravated burglary and aggravated robbery, all first-degree felonies. He was also charged with obstructing justice, a second-degree felony.

New details of Casagrande's killing were unveiled in the affidavit unsealed Wednesday.

On May 31, Black allegedly went to Arceo and Casagrande's home, 7715 W. Jefferson Road (3685 South). Black bought marijuana from Arceo regularly and was scheduled to do so the day before but didn't show up, according to charging documents.

The couple's 5-year-old daughter told police that Black came to the door that day and he went with her mother into the basement. A short time later, Black came back up the stairs alone and told the child to come with him, the charges state. Police say he then attempted to suffocate her with a throw pillow.

Casagrande sent a text message to Arceo while he was at work that evening and asked him what marijuana she should give to Black, according to police. Arceo left work early to check on his wife after she stopped responding to his text messages.

The affidavit does not specify when Arceo called Black to ask about his wife.

Two of Arceo's handguns, money and drugs were missing when he arrived home and discovered what had happened, the charges state.

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When 911 was called, "Dispatch advised that they could hear glass breaking and the male complainant kept hanging up," according to the warrant. The affidavit did not explain what was making that sound.

When officers arrived at the house, the little girl told them that "Jay Black" did it, the warrant states.

Arceo told detectives that his own gun was used to kill his wife. He also said, "The shell casing didn’t come from my gun," according to the warrant.

The holster to Arceo's Glock pistol was found in the basement.

On June 1, police were called to the Holiday Inn Express in Sandy, 10680 S. Auto Mall Dr., where several items were left behind by the prior occupants of a room and were discovered by a maid.

Those items included a Glock 22 with blood on it, a bloody knife, receipts from local stores, clothes with blood on them and Black's driver's license.

The hotel room was rented by Estephania Sanchez-Mendoza, 24, of West Jordan, who was later charged with obstructing justice, a second-degree felony.

After her arrest, Sanchez-Mendoza "admitted to driving Jason Black to the (home) in Magna. She explained that she was outside waiting for him and was texting her friend. She stated that Jason called her and told her to get out of there. She was concerned after Jason told her to get out of there and sent a GPS location to her husband in case anything happened to her.

"Estephania waited and drove Jason Black to a couple different locations before renting a room for him. She admitted that she allowed Jason to use her telephone after the homicide," the warrant states.

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Pat Reavy

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