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TAYLORSVILLE — Three teenage boys are now facing multiple felony charges accusing them of shooting and killing a man who was trying to buy a gun from them and then disposing of his body in a remote area of Utah County.
Two of the teens were charged Tuesday in 3rd District Court as adults.
Rohan Sharoon, of Salt Lake City, and Pedro Alexis Romero-Bustos, of West Valley City, both 17, were charged in 3rd District Court with murder and aggravated robbery, first-degree felonies; obstruction of justice, a second-degree felony; and abuse or desecration of a dead body, a third-degree felony.
Sharoon was also charged with being in possession of a firearm by a restricted person, a second-degree felony.
The third boy, who turned 16 on Tuesday, was charged in 3rd District Juvenile Court with murder and aggravated robbery, first-degree felonies; obstruction of justice and possession of a gun by a restricted person, second-degree felonies; and abuse or desecration of a dead body, a third-degree felony.
On March 17, Alexzia "Alex" Franco, 21, was last seen getting into a white Jeep Liberty about 4:15 p.m. near 3800 West and 5700 South, close to his home. Witnesses heard a gunshot shortly after Franco got into the vehicle, which then sped away. Two days later, his body was discovered "in a remote desert area in Utah County" with a single gunshot wound, according to police.
According to Franco's girlfriend, he was supposed to meet with some people he knew about the purchase of a gun. But when they arrived and he got into a Jeep with the three teens, "they appeared to be arguing with Franco" before "the vehicle drove off at a high rate of speed and she heard a loud noise which sounded like a gunshot," the charging documents state.
Police seek info on possible kidnapping, shooting in Taylorsville
Taylorsville police are looking for a man who was seen getting into a vehicle on Sunday that sped away after witnesses heard a shot.The Jeep was located later that day in Salt Lake City. Police discovered "the vehicle had been recently painted blue on the lower portions … the paint was still drying and showed visible brush strokes. The inside of the vehicle was wet and a blood stain could be seen on the floor and seat belt of the rear passenger seat," according to the charges.
As police were preparing to serve search warrants on the home where the vehicle was located, they learned that Sharoon had turned himself in to Taylorsville police. He then led detectives "to an area off of state Route 73 in Utah County where the body of Alex Franco was located. Franco was determined to have been killed by a gunshot to the left side of his head at close range," the charges state.
When the 16-year-old was questioned, he said he had called Romero-Bustos and told him "he had a 'play' to sell a gun," the charges say.
Taylorsville residents grieve missing man shot over the weekend
Taylorsville residents are grieving Tuesday, following the death of Alex Franco, whose body was found in the West Desert.Romero-Bustos told investigators that when the three teens drove to Franco, "they decided to rob Franco. Franco entered the vehicle on the rear passenger side and gave Sharoon money," who then told Franco to get out of the vehicle, according to the charging documents.
Romero-Bustos claimed that Franco and the 16-year-old got into an argument "and that when he turned around to look in the back seat, he was pepper-sprayed. Bustos stated he then heard a loud bang and saw Franco slouched in the back seat with his head down and to the left," the charges state.
Other witnesses told police that after the shooting, the teens met with relatives who "discussed what to do with the Jeep Liberty" because the adults did not want the boys to get in trouble, and at least one of the relatives "instructed them to paint and then burn the vehicle."
Court documents for the teen state that the 16-year-old was on probation in juvenile court for a conviction of drug distribution at the time of the shooting.
