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SALT LAKE CITY — A man who allegedly shot another man in the leg during a party in Salt Lake City in October has been arrested.
Andre Alexis Cienfuegos Ruiz, 19, was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail for investigation of aggravated assault resulting in serious injury, discharge of a firearm resulting in injury, three counts of illegally shooting a gun, forgery, possession of a firearm by a restricted person, obstruction of justice and drug possession.
The same shooting also prompted a police chase with another suspect that ended in a fatal crash. It was not immediately known, however, whether Ruiz has any connection to the people who police chased.
Just after midnight on Oct. 8, Salt Lake police started receiving 911 calls about possible shots fired. About 12:20 a.m., emergency dispatchers received a call from a 20-year-old man outside a bar near 900 S. State who said he had been shot in the leg. The victim was transported to a local hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening.
As police arrived in the area, officers spotted a car leaving at a high rate of speed. Believing there may be people in the vehicle connected to the shooting, officers attempted to pull the vehicle over and then chased it when the driver refused to stop.
As the black Mercedes sedan attempted to speed through a roundabout at 1100 East and 900 South, it failed to make the turn and crashed. The passenger, Douglas Rodriguez, 21, was killed. The driver, Josue Yahir Hernandez-Perez, 20, was charged in 3rd District Court with manslaughter.
Hernandez-Perez later claimed to investigators that he was leaving the party with Rodriguez when a police patrol car with its siren on passed them and Rodriguez started "tripping," and told Hernandez-Perez to "go, go, go, go," according to the charges.
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Salt Lake police have released body camera videos from a pursuit that ended with the suspect vehicle crashing, resulting in the death of the passenger.As the investigation into the shooting continued, police learned that Ruiz had been attending a large party that night at 876 S. Edison Street. There was a fight inside the residence which spilled to outside the house.
"While outside, Ruiz saw a man punch two of his friends. Ruiz pulled out a gun and shot the man in the leg. The man ran away from Ruiz, who continued shooting at the man. Ruiz eventually got into a car and left," according to police.
On Friday, the Salt Lake City Police Department's SWAT Team, along with the gang unit, served a search warrant which resulted in Ruiz's arrest. Investigators say Ruiz is a documented gang member and "has violent history of the same behavior."
Police say they are still investigating whether Ruiz, Hernandez-Perez and Rodriguez have any connection to each other.
Because of the fatal crash, the officer-involved critical incident protocol was invoked and West Valley police were called to investigate. Three Salt Lake officers were placed on standard paid administrative leave.
On Friday, however, the Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office announced that it does not believe the incident meets the criteria for an officer-involved critical incident because the injuries sustained to Rodriguez did not result from the actions of the officers. Still, District Attorney Sim Gill commended Salt Lake police for invoking the protocol out of an abundance of caution.
