- Stefon Samuel Sandoval, 18, faces charges in 3rd District Court for a 2022 triple homicide when he was 15.
- Sandoval was involved in a gang-related shooting, prosecutors say.
- A judge cites crime severity and gang ties as reasons for transferring the case to adult court.
WEST JORAN — A boy who was 15 when prosecutors say he participated in a gang-related triple-homicide in West Jordan in 2022 has been certified to stand trial as an adult.
Stefon Samuel Sandoval, now 18, was charged Tuesday in 3rd District Court with three counts of aggravated murder, a first-degree felony; and eight counts of discharge of a firearm, one second-degree felony and seven third-degree felonies. He was initially charged with the same crimes in the 3rd District Juvenile Court. On Monday, a judge found there was enough evidence to bind Sandoval over into the adult system.
"The court recognizes the positive steps Sandoval has taken in detention and the potential for further progress within the juvenile system. However, the magnitude of the crime and the demonstrated depth of his prior gang involvement necessitate a careful consideration of the long-term needs for both his successful rehabilitation and the protection of the community. The potential requirement for intervention and oversight beyond the age of 25 is significant. Considering the totality of the evidence and weighing the statutory factors, the court finds that the gravity of the offense, how it was committed, and the extensive evidence of prior uncharged criminal conduct and gang involvement demonstrate by a preponderance of the evidence that retaining jurisdiction in juvenile court is contrary to the best interests of the public," the judge wrote in his decision.
On July 23, 2022, Fayzan Ali and Ayash Mohamed, both 18, and Mohamed Mohamed, 20, all from Millcreek, were shot and killed while standing outside a residence at 3355 W. 6920 South.
According to court documents, Sandoval was a leader in a rival gang that was looking to retaliate against the victims for a previous fight. Sandoval and four others learned the victims were at a party in West Jordan and drove by.
"Evidence … suggests the shooting was a premeditated gang-related retaliation shooting," according to the preliminary hearing findings in juvenile court.
Police say at least 27 shots were fired.
"Multiple shots from multiple guns were fired into a group of people. The tragic effect was that three young men died and many others were at risk of death or serious injury," court documents state. "Sandoval was responsible for firing the shots that killed two individuals. Regardless of whether the victims were the specific individuals sought, the targeting of members of a rival gang, leading to three deaths, aligns with the state's portrayal of a retaliatory, dangerous act."
Prosecutors added in charging documents, "Since this triple homicide, (Sandoval) has continued to associate with known gang members and engaged in an altercation at a local school where a gun was used. Moreover, there is evidence suggesting that he has been heavily involved in other criminal incidents throughout Salt Lake County."
The alleged incident involving a gun at a school happened after the triple homicide but before he was arrested in connection with the killings in 2023, according to prosecutors. During that incident, Sandoval "was shot at by a rival gang member at Taylorsville High School," court documents state.
The judge in the preliminary further noted, "conflicting evidence suggests that Sandoval continues to engage in gang behavior in detention" and that "Sandoval's behavior in detention, as described by staff and supported by testimony, has been largely positive and compliant … However, the extensive, violent activity documented in social media, even if not all formally charged, suggests a level of dangerousness and commitment to a criminal lifestyle that is deeply concerning and relevant to both his history and the risk he poses."
Earlier this year, Steven Donovan Carmona pleaded guilty to one of the three counts of aggravated murder. He is scheduled to be sentenced next week.
