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PROVO — Police arrested two men Monday afternoon after another man was shot in the face.
Police received reports of a shooting near 700 W. 300 South around 3 p.m., according to Provo police.
Alan Ruiz-Zamora, 19, of Provo went to the residence to visit a friend when he was confronted by Guillermo Zepeda, 20, police said. Zepeda confronted Ruiz-Zamora in the carport of the home and after he displayed a handgun, Zepeda punched him, then shot him in the face at close range, police said.
The bullet struck Ruiz-Zamora in the right side of the jaw and he was transported to an area hospital in stable condition.
"He has been able to communicate with us, and he is cooperating in the investigation," Provo Police Lt. Brandon Post said Tuesday.
Zepeda fled the scene in a red Chevrolet Cavalier with Severo Vine, 19, police said. Officers and members of the Utah County Major Crimes Task Force identified Zepeda and began searching for the two men.
Around 5 p.m., officers saw the men driving the Chevrolet near 650 W. 1975 North and attempted to stop the vehicle. The men drove away and eventually left the vehicle in an apartment complex parking lot near 1720 N. 450 West, police said.
Officers located the vehicle and arrested Vine, but Zepeda fled the scene on foot. Officers pursued him on foot and caught him near a river, police said. He resisted arrest and during the struggle, officers and Zepeda rolled into the river.
Zepeda was taken into custody and was booked into the Utah County Jail on suspicion of attempted murder, failure to stop at command of police and possession of a dangerous weapon by a restricted person.
When detectives interviewed Zepeda, he told them "he was angry because he thought the victim and witnesses were making fun of him," and he claimed he punched the victim in the head, according to a police affidavit filed in 4th District Court.
Vine was booked into the Utah County Jail on suspicion of attempted murder.
Vine told police that before the shooting, Zepeda had told him "he wanted to kill the victim" and then watched as he walked "around the corner where the victim is at and hears a gunshot," the affidavit states.
Police believe the confrontation and shooting were related “to a previous dispute over gang ties.” Investigators said Zepeda has a "violent felony criminal history" and gang ties.
He was convicted of child abuse in 2013 and stalking in September of 2014. A warrant was issued for his arrest in November for failing to show up for his sentencing on the stalking conviction, according to court records.
Also in September, Zepeda was convicted of robbery and burglary. He was given a suspended prison sentence and was instead sentenced to just under a year in jail. In that case, Zepeda was with a group of four people who kidnapped at least two people at knife point and machete point, then beat them, forced them into a van and made additional threats against them if they didn't show him where a man who owed him money was, according to court records.
Police say Vine has a minor criminal history.
With Zepeda and Vine in jail, investigators are still looking for one more person of interest.
"There is one other person we are attempting to locate," Post said. "But because she is a juvenile ... we are not releasing anything on her, and we are confident we will be able to find her before too much time passes."
Contributing: Sam Penrod
