- Two men and a teen were arrested in connection with a fatal Taylorsville shootout.
- Daniel Vargas Rodriguez, 19, and Alejandro Julian Bia, 23, were arrested for investigation of murder.
- Bia, a known gang member, allegedly fired first; a 17-year-old was also arrested.
TAYLORSVILLE — Two men and a teen boy have been arrested in connection with a fatal shootout at a Taylorsville gas station early Saturday.
Daniel Vargas Rodriguez, 19, and Alejandro Julian Bia, 23, were each booked into the Salt Lake County Jail for investigation of aggravated murder, discharge of a firearm and obstruction of justice. Bia was also booked for investigation of being a restricted person in possession of a gun. A 17-year-old boy was also taken into custody, according to police.
On Saturday, about 3 a.m., two vehicles with approximately nine people stopped at a Speedway gas station, 3587 W. 4700 South, waiting for information on a house party, according to a police booking affidavit.
As the group was waiting, a third vehicle with Bia, Rodriguez and a 17-year-old boy drove up.
"The males met with the other group and, according to the surveillance video, it appears that they were having a conversation. A short time later the conversation appeared to get heated, and the groups began to disperse and headed back to their vehicles," the affidavit states.
Isaiah Chavez is then seen in surveillance video walking over to Bia's vehicle, "and as he came around the corner, Bia is seen firing a weapon out the window at Isaiah. Isaiah is seen returning fire and then seen running back to his own vehicle," according to the affidavit.
Bia then sped off, but before turning onto 3600 West, "additional shots were fired from Bia's vehicle at the group," the police booking report states.
Bia's vehicle drove down the street a short distance then turned around, "and as it drove by the opposing group, an additional 10 shots were fired from Bia's vehicle. During this last set of gunfire, Isaiah is seen falling to the ground (and) was confirmed deceased shortly after," police wrote in the affidavit. Police say Chavez was in his early 20s.
Investigators reviewing surveillance video also noted that "a 15-year-old male … is seen holding a firearm and chasing after (Rodriguez)" who then "is seen firing a weapon at the 15-year-old male, and the 15-year-old male is pointing the firearm at Daniel and filming from his phone," according to the affidavit.
Using license plate reader machines and cellphone data, detectives tracked Bia to a home in Taylorsville. Police held surveillance on the home, and when Bia came out and started driving again, he was pulled over and arrested without incident, police stated.
When questioned, Bia claimed he did not know who fired a gun from his car.
"I pointed out to Bia that it is plain as day that he was the one that shoots first in this instance. Bia advised 'No, it was,' and then stopped. Bia advised that it may look bad 'that my window was the only one down.' I explained that his window was down, and in the video you can see Bia look back a number of times and then turn, hand out the window and shoot, and that was when the victim started to shoot," the arresting officer wrote in the affidavit. "Bia advised, 'Something like that.'"
Police say Bia is a known gang member.
Later, police learned the location of Rodriguez and the 17-year-old boy, and a SWAT team arrested them at another Taylorsville residence, the affidavit states.
No other information was immediately available about the 15-year-old allegedly seen in surveillance with a gun.
