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SALT LAKE CITY — A Midvale man has been charged with shooting another man three times as the victim tried to run away.
Jacob David Cuka, 20, was charged Thursday in 3rd District Court with three counts of discharge of a firearm causing serious injury, a first-degree felony; two counts of drug distribution, a second-degree felony; and possession of a gun by a restricted person, a third-degree felony.
On Jan. 8, Salt Lake police were called to the area of 1000 West and Fremont Avenue where they found a man who had been shot three times. Doctors had to remove two bullets from his body, according to charging documents.
The man said he was at a residence with others when he left with a group of people, even though he "didn't know where they were going."
At one point, their car stopped and Cuka told the man they were waiting to meet up with someone. That's when the man was pulled out of the car by others who "yelled at him, and a male with a gun cocked back the hammer and pulled the trigger twice," the charges state, adding that a 21-year-old man "pistol whipped him and put the gun to his head, pulling the trigger twice," but the gun was not loaded.
The victim then turned and saw Cuka holding a gun. Cuka shot the man in the shoulder, the charges state. The victim then began to run but police say he was shot two more times as he tried to get away.
Investigators learned that Cuka worked at a hotel in downtown Salt Lake City. Officers found him in the break room and arrested him at work. He initially lied to police about where his gun was located because he didn't want detectives to find the marijuana he had in his apartment, the charges state. When police searched his apartment near 7000 S. State, they reported finding both the gun and distributable amounts of marijuana inside.
As of Friday, charges had not been filed against the 21-year-old man who allegedly pistol-whipped the victim and tried to shoot him.
