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MIDVALE — A man wanted in connection with a shooting and police chase that resulted in a 2-year-old bystander being hit by a bullet fragment has been arrested after he turned himself him.
Christian Pena Renteria, 18, was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail Thursday for investigation of aggravated assault, five counts of discharge of a firearm, and failing to stop for law enforcement.
On May 11, a woman told police she was in Midvale when a car with Pena and others inside passed her. The woman began driving away with her boyfriend but soon realized that Pena was following her. She pulled over to avoid being followed. But when she and the boyfriend got out of their car, the vehicle that was following them stopped, one person got out and fired five rounds at them, a police booking affidavit states.
Unified Police Sgt. Melody Cutler says a 2-year-old girl who was nearby was hit by either a ricocheting bullet or a bullet fragment. That girl suffered a minor injury.
Police say the victims were able to identify Pena and the 16-year-old boy he was with. Both are documented gang members and known by detectives, Cutler said.
About four hours after the shooting, police said they spotted Pena's vehicle near 7200 S. State. An officer followed while additional backup officers headed to the area. But when the vehicle turned into a neighborhood, it picked up speed, temporarily stopped and a male got out and ran, according to the affidavit.
"The vehicle then took off at a high rate of speed through the neighborhood. (The officer) activated (his) emergency lights and siren, attempting to stop the vehicle. The vehicle continued to disregard audio and visual commands to stop while making evasive turns within the neighborhood," the affidavit says.
Police chased the vehicle to a nearby apartment complex where two more people got out of the car and ran. In the abandoned car, police reported finding a cellphone belonging to Pena's 17-year-old girlfriend.
Cutler said both the 17-year-old girl and 16-year-old boy were arrested. On Tuesday, Pena went to juvenile detention to turn himself in, the affidavit states. But because he had turned 18 in April, he was transferred Thursday to the Salt Lake County Jail.
According to police, Pena is a documented gang member and "has been convicted of several felonies, including firearms and other shootings."
