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Tonya Papanikolas ReportingA suspect's gang ties helped police find a man wanted for murder.
The man is accused of shooting another man in the chest last week. It took police only two days to track down the suspect and arrest him.
Police say the victim and suspect got into a fight at an apartment complex late Wednesday night. After the suspect fired the gun and took off, the homicide detectives got a little help.
Witnesses told police they heard two men arguing in the hallway of the Victoria House apartments Wednesday night. Then they heard a single gunshot.
Will Jones, Neighbor: "That place has kids running crazy around there, people in and out all night. It doesn't surprise me, no."
Officers say a woman found her boyfriend, 26-year-old Rodolfo Soto, shot to death outside her apartment door. Police immediately started looking for suspects.
Lt. David Cracroft/ Salt Lake City Police Dept./ August 17: "We've been trying to set the bloodhound on the track, the direction the suspects are thought to have gone."
At the time, police named two persons of interest-- Juan Noriega and Florencia Herrera. But shortly after, Herrera paid a visit to police.
Det. Robin Snyder, Salt Lake Police Department: "He saw himself in one of the media outlets and realized we were looking for him. So he came in and talked with the dectives and they were able to clear him from the case."
Noriega, however, was named the shooter in the murder. Homicide detectives quickly sought help from another police division.
Det. Robin Snyder: "The gang detectives know him and have dealt with him."
Those gang detectives were able to develop information that Noriega was going to be in the area of 400 East and 2000 South. So late Friday night, they set up surveillance and waited until Noriega drove through.
Robin Snyder: "They stopped the vehicle. They took him into custody. There were no problems."
Along with some outstanding warrants, Noriega was booked into jail on homicide charges.
Det. Robin Snyder: "It was a good effort on behalf of the homicide detectives, along with the gang detectives working together on this."
If the gang detectives know a suspect from previous dealings, they often have a lot of information on where that suspect lives, hangs out, even the kind of car they drive.
That information is very helpful in tracking someone down.
