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SALT LAKE CITY — A Millcreek man pleaded guilty Friday to attempting to kill his wife and her friend in a violent hostage standoff last year.
Vallentin Dulla Santarromana, 38, pleaded guilty to two counts of attempted aggravated murder, as well as single counts of aggravated kidnapping and forcible sexual abuse, all first-degree felonies. He also admitted to assaulting a police officer, a second-degree felony, and pleaded no contest in a separate case to domestic violence in the presence of a child.
Santarromana had been facing 31 felony charges for his brutal attack on his estranged wife, Jenny Andrus, and her friend, Jai Hogue. The additional charges against him were dismissed Friday as part of the agreement with prosecutors.
Police say Santarromana was upset about his pending divorce and blamed Hogue for his wife leaving him. Andrus had requested a protective order against her husband just days before the shooting stemming from a previous domestic violence incident where police say Santarromana threatened her with a machete.
Distraught over his dissolving marriage, Santarromana ambushed Andrus on Aug. 22, 2015, at the Millcreek home they once shared, 3313 S. Scott Court, according to police. When Andrus called for help, Santarromana shot Hogue 11 times and left her wounded in the street as he dragged Andrus into the home, prosecutors said.
As police surrounded the house in a standoff that lasted several hours, Santarromana shot Andrus five times and forced her to perform a sex act, according to the charges. He then fired upon officers when they rushed in to save Andrus.
Inside the home, police were met by obstacles placed in the hallway and the smell of leaking gas. They say Santarromana had cut the lines in the home, creating the risk of an explosion.
Related:
Police: Pending divorce may have sparked Millcreek shootings
Two women allegedly shot by one of the victim's estranged husband continued to recover Monday. Investigators now believe a pending divorce between the gunman and one of the women was a factor in the shooting.A shot to the head took Andrus' eye. Hogue was sustained in a medically induced coma for months following the shooting that partially paralyzed her.
Attempts to resolve the case earlier this year fell apart when Santarromana refused to be transported from the jail and plea negotiations were revisited.
Sentencing for Santorramana is scheduled for Nov. 17. Third District Judge Royal Hansen said Friday he anticipates following a recommendation from prosecutors to order concurrent 15-year-to-life sentences for charges of attempted murder, sexual assault, assaulting an officer and the domestic violence case.
A sentence of 10 years to life for the kidnapping charge will run consecutively, meaning Santarromana will spend a minimum of 25 years in prison.
Help for people in abusive relationships can be found by contacting the YWCA, Women in Jeopardy, 801-537-8600, or the Domestic Violence Hotline, 1-800-897-LINK (5465).
