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SALT LAKE CITY — Three people who police say have have helped three wanted murder suspects avoid arrest are now facing criminal charges themselves.
Damian Stafon Coleman Sr., 49, Liana Deleon Guerrero Blas, 20, and Kenya Susette Coleman, 47, all of Roy, were charged Monday in 3rd District Court with obstruction of justice, a second-degree felony.
On May 9, Romeo Charles Stevens, 27, was shot multiple times and killed near the entrance to the parking lot at WinCo, 2193 S. Main.
Four people are charged with murder and aggravated robbery: Damian Stafon Coleman Jr., of Roy, 27; McKennalyn Elizabeth Cummins, 24, of Portage, Box Elder County; Terrell Jones, 30, of Roy; and Stafon Dshawn Coleman, 21, of Roy. In addition to those first-degree felony charges, they are each charged with obstructing justice, a second-degree felony. Damian Coleman Jr. was arrested shortly after the shooting but the other three have remained on the run.
Damian Coleman Jr. and Stafon Coleman are brothers. Damian Coleman Sr. is their father, Kenya Coleman is their stepmother and Blas is Stafon Coleman's girlfriend, according to court records,
After the shooting, police went to the Colemans' residence in Roy and talked to the parents. Kenya Coleman "initially denied even knowing who Damian was" while the father denied knowing anything about the suspected getaway vehicle, even though the car was registered in his name, charging documents state.
Through their investigation, police learned that Blas fled to Las Vegas, California, and Texas with Jones and Stafon Coleman and believe she may have also been in Arizona.
"She continued to make attempts to locate housing for both her and Stafon outside of Utah, despite knowing that a warrant had been issued for his arrest and that he was a suspect in a murder case," the charges state.
Prosecutors also noted that Coleman Sr. "has lied to police officers concerning critical facts of this case, has admittedly traveled across state lines to meet with other parties, assist with the continued flight of his sons and daughter-in-law, who are murder suspects and obtain new phones and other instrumentalities to communicate with the fugitives and other parties while the fugitives remain on the run," the charges state,
Blas and the Coleman parents were arrested in Roy last week.
