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SALT LAKE CITY — A West Valley man who was originally listed in court documents as a witness to a killing in Kearns in June has now been charged as a co-defendant in the crime.
Zachary Rock Ama, 34, was charged Friday in 3rd District Court with murder, two counts of felony discharge of a firearm with serious injury, aggravated burglary and aggravated robbery. Because the alleged crimes were committed with two or more people, all charges are first-degree felonies.
Ama joins Lewellyn Auvaa, 38, Paul Tuese Ama, 42, and Joleen Warner, 37, who were charged with the same crimes in June.
On June 5, John Herman Tonga, 34, was found dead of gunshot wounds in the front yard of a house at 4805 S. 4720 West. While police were on scene, they received a report of a second man who had just been dropped off at a local hospital with gunshot wounds.
In charging documents, Zachary Ama told police that he, Auvaa, Paul Ama and Warner had set up a drug deal with an acquaintance but planned to rob him instead.
Zachary Ama told police that the others went to the house, and when he got there, “he thought everything was OK because everyone was shaking hands and acting friendly toward one another,” the charges state.
He said the acquaintance stayed in the house while the three others plus Tonga walked outside, according to charging documents. But a short time later, Zachary Ama told police he saw Paul Ama and Warner go back into the house with guns to rob the acquaintance of jewelry and money, the charges state.
Auvaa and Tonga, who also had a gun, then followed, the charges state, and shots were fired shortly after Tonga went inside. Tonga came back out of the house and dropped to the ground.
Paul Ama was dropped off at Intermountain Healthcare in Taylorsville with gunshot wounds to his hand and thigh, according to police.
The preliminary hearing for Paul Ama was scheduled to begin on Wednesday.
But during the hearing, prosecutors requested a continuance because “they do not have an agreement with the witness regarding immunity,” according to a court docket. Because of that, defense attorneys motioned for their clients to be released from custody and for the case to be dismissed.
The judge agreed to continue the preliminary hearing until March 20, but denied the motions to dismiss the case and release Paul Ama, the charges state.
Court records do not name the witness who was offered immunity.
According to court records, prosecutors announced at 10:30 a.m. that they did not have an agreement with their witness. Zachary Ama was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail about 12:30 p.m. Wednesday for investigation of murder.
