Men accused of narrowly missing 2-year-old during shooting spree charged


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TAYLORSVILLE — Two men accused of firing numerous rounds into a Taylorsville house, narrowly missing a 2-year-old girl, were charged Friday.

Charging documents also reveal a destructive spree allegedly committed by the two men the same morning, shooting cars and even an LDS Church seemingly at random.

Joseph Villagrana, 20, of Murray, and Luiz Miguel Valadez, 23, of Salt Lake, were charged in 3rd District Court with 17 counts of illegal discharge of a firearm, a third-degree felony; aggravated assault, a third-degree felony; obstruction of justice, a class A misdemeanor; and vehicle burglary, a class A misdemeanor. In addition, Valdez was charged with assault on a police officer, a second-degree felony, and failing to stop at an officer's command, a third-degree felony.

About 4:30 a.m. on July 15, both men went to a house, 4824 S. 3475 West and shot into the house while walking around it, according to police. The house was shot 11 times, according to charging documents. One of the bullets was found "lodged in a mattress" that a 2-year-old girl was sleeping on, the charges state.

Three adults and four children — ages 13, 9, 3 and 2 — were inside at the time. No injuries were reported. The charges do not disclose a possible motive for the shooting or why the family was targeted.

Police also received reports from Taylorsville to Millcreek of unoccupied cars parking along the side of the road being shot and at least one being burglarized. At least four vehicles were shot, according to charging documents.

A Unified police officer also found the window of an LDS Church had a bullet hole in it. A .45 caliber shell casing, was found in the roadway and a "bullet was located lodged in the molding of one of the foyer walls," the charges state.

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One resident observed the suspects firing a gun in the air as they drove by. Another driver said the suspects spotted him, stopped in the middle of the road, got out and shoot two rounds into his car, according to charging documents.

The last shooting happened near the Unified Police Department's Millcreek substation, 1580 E. 3900 South where a sergeant and another officer heard the shots and then spotted the fleeing suspect vehicle.

At 3300 South and Highland Drive police successfully spiked at least one of the fleeing vehicle's tires. The car, however, continued into Salt Lake City. At 800 South and 900 East, the pursuing sergeant performed a PIT manuever, bumping the rear panel of the car, causing it to spin out. The driver attempted to flee again, however, by accelerating toward the approaching officer's vehicle and hitting it, the charges state. The officer, however, pushed the damaged Honda into the curb, according to charging documents.

Pursuing officers quickly boxed in the vehicle before it could move again, and both men inside were arrested without further incident.

A bullet proof vest was also found by police inside the vehicle in addition to at least one shell casing and a pistol magazine, according to the charges. Both guns were also recovered.

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Pat Reavy

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