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SALT LAKE CITY — Three people are facing criminal charges accusing them of being involved in the "friendly fire" shooting death of a man who had gone to a party with the intent of carjacking another person.
The trio was charged last week in connection with the Jan. 14 shooting death of Gabriel Isidore Vigil, 18, near 800 South and 300 East.
Maricio Amar Reyes Valdez, 19, and Isidore Junior Barrera, 20, of Kearns, were charged in 3rd District Court with aggravated robbery and two counts of shooting someone causing serious injury, first-degree felonies; and 18 counts of discharge of a firearm, a second-degree felony.
Tommi Tiaria Jude Gallegos, 23, of West Valley City, was charged with obstruction of justice, a second-degree felony. Police say a 16-year-old boy was also arrested.
About 2:40 a.m. on Jan. 14, Salt Lake police responded to the area of 800 South and 300 East on a report of shots fired and that one man may be deceased. Officers arrived and found Vigil on the sidewalk with a gunshot wound to his head.
"During the investigation, detectives located 13 9mm shells in the area of where Gabriel was found deceased and an additional eight 9mm shell casings were recovered in the days following the incident as the snow melted," according to charging documents.
Detectives searched Vigil's cellphone and "located a video showing someone getting beat up and pistol-whipped outside on a snowy surface," the charges state. The video had a time stamp of 2:22 a.m., or about 20 minutes before the shooting.
Related:
Man arrested in connection with 'friendly fire' killing in Salt Lake City
A second man has been arrested and accused of firing multiple rounds at an occupied house in January. One man died in that shooting and police say the victim was one of four gunmen and was hit by one of the other three.Detectives also collected surveillance videos from the area, on which they found a car dropping off four people — Valdez, Vigil, Barrera and a 16-year-old boy — who started walking toward a short-term rental home where a birthday party was being held for Gallegos, the charges state.
"The males then lift their arms and fire shots toward the Airbnb as they are running away. The woman runs back inside the house and Gabriel (Vigil) can be seen falling to the ground," according to the charges.
According to several witnesses that police questioned, "the males asked to be taken to two different places to beat up people who threatened someone at a party."
They first went to a townhome where a boy was pistol-whipped. They then went to the Airbnb where one witness told police "that all four boys had handguns and their plan was to go to the party, beat up another male, and carjack him to steal his car," the charges allege.
After the shooting, prosecutors say Gallegos repeatedly gave investigators false statements, lying about who was at the party and denying that she knew Vigil.
Investigators believe the four men — including Vigil — fired at least 18 rounds. But Vigil "was hit by friendly fire," and died after being shot twice, according to a police booking affidavit.
Shortly after the shooting, Valdez quit his job and claimed he was going to Nevada, the charges say. Police continued Thursday to look for him.
