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SALT LAKE CITY — A 32-year-old man was shot and killed in the Rio Grande area Thursday night.
The name of the victim, who is from out of the country, was not immediately released pending notification of family members, according to police.
Shortly after the shooting, police arrested Oscar Armando Carrillo Flores, 23, of Honduras. He was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail for investigation of murder and possession of a dangerous weapon by a restricted person.
A Salt Lake police officer who was several blocks away heard multiple shots coming from the area of 200 South and 500 West about 10 p.m. The officer saw someone running away from the scene and tried to chase after the man but lost him, according to police.
The officer then returned to the shooting scene where he found the victim. The man was taken to a local hospital where he later died from his injuries.
Detectives used nearby surveillance video to track the gunman to outside the homeless shelter where Flores was arrested, according to a Salt Lake County Jail report. Flores told investigators that the victim "had threatened him," but said, "I found him first," the report states.
Flores told police that he "sells unlawful controlled substances in the shelter area to support himself and his wife," according to the report. A federal detainer hold was placed on Flores at the jail.
The killing is the third in the Rio Grande area in a little over a week.
On July 25, police say one man was killed and three others injured when Kepedro Dedrick Kegler, 42, randomly attacked people. At least two of the victims, including the man who died, were attacked with a 53-pound paver stone, according to prosecutors. Kegler was charged Thursday with aggravated murder.
On July 26, Shawn Manymules, 26, was found shot to death on the west side of Pioneer Park. The shooting occurred about 1:30 a.m.
Police are searching for two men in connection with that shooting death and released a video of the two men earlier this week, asking for the public's help in identifying them.
The recent attacks come as state and city leaders attempt to hash out a plan to combat the lawlessness in the Rio Grande area.
In response to the violence, Salt Lake City Mayor Jackie Biskupski sent out a message to constituents Friday assuring the city and police are doing all they can to address the problem.
"This environment is not something that grew overnight or even over the course of a year — the crime and societal issues pervasive in the Rio Grande have plagued this city for years. Without question, it is time for change," Biskupski wrote.
Biskupski said she is lobbying for more beds to be opened at the county jail, which had been restricted to felony-only admissions under former Salt Lake County Sheriff Jim Winder.
The controversial booking policy was partially rolled back in June, and the available beds quickly utilized, Biskupski said.
Biskupski said her office is looking into options "to create significant and immediate space in the county jail, opening the jail beds necessary for us to enforce the law and reduce crime." She called the endeavor part of a greater push to stabilize the Rio Grande area being led by Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox and House Speaker Greg Hughes.
Contributing: McKenzie Romero
