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KEARNS — A person originally called a person of interest in connection with a fatal shooting in Kearns is now charged with murder.
Daniel Lopez-Santiago, 18, was charged Friday in 3rd District Court with murder, a first-degree felony; and obstruction of justice and possession of a gun by a restricted person, second-degree felonies.
On Sept. 3, Unified police were called just before 8 a.m. to 4057 W. 4990 South on a report of an unconscious man. They arrived to discover that Vincente Peralta-Figueroa, 25, had been shot and killed in a detached garage on the property.
Police say Peralta-Figueroa had been living at the home for about a month. Elmer Areiga Hernandez, 30, also lived in the home. But when investigators attempted to question Hernandez, he "changed his story multiple times," according to charging documents, and "has actively tried to impede the investigation."
Hernandez was charged with obstruction of justice, a second-degree felony.
Detectives learned that Peralta-Figueroa had allegedly gotten into a fight with another man. Lopez-Santiago was later named a person of interest. In September, he was arrested for investigation of being a restricted person in possession of a weapon.
According to charging documents filed Friday, Lopez-Santiago and Peralta-Figueroa started arguing on the night of the shooting about money owed. Lopez-Santiago confronted the victim about the money in the detached garage. After being gone for awhile, Hernandez went to go check on them.
"He saw Vicente and Lopez-Santiago arguing loudly. Elmer then saw Lopez-Santiago shoot Vicente once with a handgun. While still holding the handgun, Lopez-Santiago ran toward Elmer and demanded he take him home or else," the charges state.
After the shooting, investigators say Lopez-Santiago sold his gun to a neighbor.
Prosecutors says Lopez-Santiago is originally from Oaxaca, Mexico, and is in the United State illegally. He also has another pending case in which he is charged with being a restricted person in possession of a gun, and "it was also learned that on (his) social media, he was observed holding, and shooting a handgun in multiple photos and videos," charging documents state.
