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SALT LAKE CITY — Two people, including a 16-year-old boy, were charged Friday with shooting and killing a man outside a Salt Lake club.
Jaime Dirzo-Portugal, 22, of Salt Lake City, and Alex Ruiz-Martinez, 16, of Millcreek, are each charged in 3rd District Court with murder, a first-degree felony. Ruiz-Martinez was charged as an adult.
About 1:30 a.m. on June 13, police were called to 125 W. 300 South where Englandsienna Happy Valley Pauulu, 22, was found with a gunshot wound to his chest. Pauulu died at the scene despite life-saving efforts by first responders.
Another man told police that he and Pauulu were at a nightclub and were walking across the street to go back to his car when they walked by three people who were also going to the club. One of the men, Dirzo-Portugal, "shoulder bumped" Pauulu as they walked by, according to charging documents.
Police say Pauulu and Dirzo-Portugal exchanged words and then the two started fighting. According to a witness, Dirzo-Portugal lifted his shirt to show he had a gun tucked in his waistband, prompting Pauulu to try and grab the gun, the charges state. As the two wrestled to the ground, the gun allegedly fell out of Dirzo-Portugal's waistband.
The witness told police that Pauulu "was over the top of Dirzo-Portugal and was hitting him" when Dirzo-Portugal told Ruiz-Martinez to shoot Pauulu, the charges state.
"Alex, shoot," he told the 16-year-old, according to the charges.
Ruiz-Martinez then grabbed the gun that was on the ground and "immediately shot Englandsienna," the charging documents say.
Pauulu's friend said he "heard one or two shots" before he was also attacked by the three males. Investigators were able to locate video evidence that recorded Pauulu "crawling and then collapsing" as his friend was being attacked," according to the charges.
The witness said he later heard Ruiz-Martinez say "that Pauulu deserved to die," the charges state.
Prosecutors have requested both be held without bail.
