- Two men, Jordan Leitner and Mauricio Hernandez, were arrested for investigation of attempted murder.
- They allegedly ambushed a victim, shooting into his vehicle in Murray.
- Police identified suspects through social media and found evidence at Leitner's home.
MURRAY — Two men were arrested Wednesday after police say they shot a third man after hiding and waiting for his car to arrive.
Jordan Sathia Leitner and Mauricio Albert Hernandez, both 18, were each booked into the Salt Lake County Jail for investigation of attempted murder, aggravated robbery, aggravated assault and being a restricted person in possession of a gun. Leitner was also arrested for investigation of illegal shooting, aggravated assault resulting in serious injury and another count of aggravated assault.
About 8:35 p.m. on April 1, three men, including Leitner and Hernandez, "laid in wait behind a dumpster for the victim vehicle to arrive in the parking lot" at an apartment complex at 162 W. 4490 South.
When the car arrived, one of the men approached the passenger, "and forcibly took a THC cartridge from the passenger and drew a gun and aimed it at the passenger," a police booking affidavit states.
Leitner and Hernandez then emerged from hiding and approached the vehicle.
"(Leitner) approached the front passenger side and drew a gun. After a short exchange, the two passenger side suspects, one of which was (Leitner), fired multiple rounds at point-blank range into the passenger compartment of the vehicle," the affidavit alleges. "After the gunfire started, the victim vehicle sped out of the parking lot and the three suspects were seen on surveillance running out of the complex, jumping the wall onto the FrontRunner line and getting into a Kia Forte."
The driver of the vehicle was shot in the arm and drove himself to a local hospital. Police believe that at least one of the gunmen and the victim know each other, the affidavit states.
After serving search warrants on social media accounts, investigators were able to identify all three men.
"A search warrant was issued for the arrest and search of two of the suspects' homes and those warrants were served (Wednesday). Evidence was recovered at (Leitner's) home that is relevant to this case and another incident (he) was involved in Murray," according to the affidavit.
In June, Leitner was convicted of running from police after he was spotted on the Jordan River Parkway carrying an AR-15 with two others, according to charging documents. He was sentenced to one year of probation in that case.
Information about the third gunman was not immediately available.
This story may be updated.
