Bountiful man charged with murder in death of woman after carjacking


9 photos
Save Story
Leer en español

Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes

This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.

KAYSVILLE — A Bountiful man was charged with murder Friday for allegedly striking and killing a Farmington woman with a vehicle he had carjacked moments earlier.

Anthony Santos Cruz, 28, was booked into the Davis County Jail Friday after spending four days in the hospital with injuries he suffered during the Monday crash, said Kaysville Police Chief Sol Oberg. Cruz is charged in 2nd District Court with murder, a first-degree felony, and three counts of aggravated robbery, a first-degree felony.

Meanwhile, the family of 21-year-old Jazmyn Jeppson, who died in the crash, asked others Friday to extend forgiveness to the man accused of killing her. Jeppson was killed less than two months after returning home from a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Houston, Texas.

"The family understand(s) the legal process will need to run its course," her maternal uncle, Jeff Howard, said. "We do want to reiterate that the family only desires that the healing process occur for all individuals and parties involved with this tragic situation."

Howard said Jeppson's family is trying to direct their energy and attention to remembering her.

"Jazmyn lived life to the fullest and would only want the focus to be on faith, family and on forgiveness," he said. "We know she is with her Father in Heaven and will continue to do what she has done throughout her life, and that is to simply serve."

Jeff Ostler, Jeppson's LDS stake president, said earlier this week that her father was "heartbroken" at his daughter's death but had already forgiven Cruz.

"He wants this young man and the family of this young man to know that they have no hard feelings, that they are full of forgiveness and they wish nothing but the best for this family," President Ostler said.

Neither Howard nor Kaysville police would take questions from reporters during a press conference the department held Friday.

Michelle Jennifer Vigil, 22, of West Valley City, was arrested Monday for allegedly assisting Cruz with the first of two carjackings he is accused of committing in Kaysville and Centerville. She was charged Friday with aggravated robbery, a first-degree felony.

Cruz forcibly removed a woman from her vehicle in Kaysville, and after pulling over on southbound I-15 about 20 minutes later, he hijacked a second car, according to police. Investigators say he collided with Jeppson minutes later just off of the Parrish Lane freeway exit in Centerville.

The State Bureau of Investigation and Layton, Syracuse and Farmington police have assisted Centerville and Kaysville officers in the investigation into Cruz, said Centerville Police Chief Paul Child.

"I would like to be able to understand why this happened," Child said. "I think we know a lot about what happened. But the question is why, and I think there's really no answer to that. This was a senseless tragedy."

After the two carjacked a vehicle in Kaysville, it broke down on I-15 near Centerville, according to charging documents. A Unified police officer on his way to work stopped to help the couple, not realizing the car was stolen. At some point, witnesses and police say Cruz walked away and unsuccessfully tried to carjack a vehicle stopped in a freeway traffic jam. He then allegedly stole a nearby Volkswagen after a witness said he assaulted the driver. He continued south on the freeway, "dragging the victim (Volkswagen owner) on the outside of the car at freeway speeds for some distance," the charges state.

One motorist said other drivers tried to box Cruz in, but he evaded them and continued driving. At the intersection atop the Parrish Lane exit, Cruz raced through the traffic light "at a high speed" and hit Jeppson's vehicle, according to the charges.

No initial court date is currently set in the cases against Cruz or Vigil.

Photos

Related stories

Most recent Utah stories

Related topics

Utah
Ben Lockhart

    STAY IN THE KNOW

    Get informative articles and interesting stories delivered to your inbox weekly. Subscribe to the KSL.com Trending 5.
    By subscribing, you acknowledge and agree to KSL.com's Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

    KSL Weather Forecast