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KEARNS — A 15-year-old boy accused of murdering a Kearns man in a truck in July had already had several run-ins with police prior to the fatal shooting.
The boy was charged in 3rd District Juvenile Court in July with murder, a first-degree felony; obstructing justice, a second-degree felony; three counts of discharge of a firearm, a third-degree felony; being a minor in possession of a handgun and possession of drug paraphernalia, both class B misdemeanors.
KSL.com has chosen not to name of the boy at this time.
On July 6, police say Fernando Amaya-Higareda, 23, was in a truck in the area of 5600 South and 5300 West about 8:20 p.m. when he pulled over next to two boys, ages 15 and 16, who were pushing a bicycle down the sidewalk.
A witness heard the boys and Amaya-Higareda exchange words such as, "Wassup?" and "something about having or wanting any 'beef,'" according to charging documents.
As Amaya-Higareda started to drive away, one of the boys kicked the truck. The 15-year-old then got a gun out of the backpack he was carrying and fired about four rounds, the charges state.
The truck rolled down Impressions Drive, hit a metal box and ended up in a grassy area. Unified police found the truck's rear window shot out and several bullet holes in the truck's bed on the driver's side, according to the charges. Amaya-Higareda, who was shot in the head, died at the scene.
The two teens ran through a nearby neighborhood after the shooting. Using doorbell cameras and information from neighbors, officers located the boys. They also recovered a gun that had been stashed under the front bumper of a random vehicle, as well as a backpack the 15-year-old was carrying that had ammunition and drug paraphernalia inside, according to the charging documents.
When interviewed by police, the 15-year-old was asked, "So, you shot the guy in the white truck?" the charges state. "I guess so" the boy responded before "again denying involvement."
As of Wednesday, the 16-year-old boy had not been charged in connection with the killing.
According to juvenile court records, the 15-year-old was also charged just two months earlier with aggravated assault and accused of choking a woman and punching her in the face.
Prior to that, in October when the boy was 14, he led Unified police on a chase in the Kearns area, according to court documents. After the teen had gotten out of his car and ran, he allegedly dropped a handgun that had been reported as stolen a month earlier in Morgan County. The boy was later charged with a number of crimes, including failing to stop for police, reckless driving and leaving the scene of an accident.
