Estimated read time: 2-3 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 Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information.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.
SALT LAKE CITY — Charges were filed this week against a documented gang member who prosecutors say is responsible for two recent shootings in Salt Lake County.
Kevin Cordero-Rodriguez, 19, of West Valley City, was charged Monday with discharge of a firearm, a third-degree felony. He was previously charged on Thursday with five counts of aggravated assault and two additional counts of discharge of a firearm, all third-degree felonies.
On Sept. 1, Cordero-Rodriguez confronted a man at Valley Fair Mall who he believed was a rival gang member and told him, "Follow me, I got something for you," according to charging documents. A small group then walked to the mall parking lot, where a gunshot was heard as the others tried to walk away from Cordero-Rodriguez.
The shot hit the front bumper of a parked car nearby, according to the charges. No one was injured.
Then on Sept. 17, in the parking lot of a credit union at Jordan Landing in West Jordan, Cordero-Rodriguez got into an argument with another group and began asking a man in the group what gang he was from. As the group got into their car to drive away, Cordero-Rodriguez fired two rounds into their car, with one round hitting the passenger side door, the charges state.
"There were five people in (the) car at the time the shots were fired," according to the court documents. No one was injured.
On Oct. 9, West Valley police investigating their case found Cordero-Rodriguez in a Walmart parking lot and stopped him for questioning. They also called West Jordan to have their detectives respond and question him, too. While being questioned, a handgun that matched the gun used in the Jordan Landing shooting was found, the charges state.
When asked about the Valley Fair Mall shooting, Cordero-Rodriguez claimed he fired a warning shot at a man in the other group and could have hit him if he wanted to, the charging documents state.
Cordero-Rodriguez was scheduled to make an initial appearance in court on one case Tuesday and the other on Thursday.
