Moab woman shot last week dies from injuries

MOAB — A Moab woman shot by a man who then turned the gun on himself has died from her injuries.

On Tuesday, Moab police announced that 33-year-old Anzhela "Angela" Pronina died Monday afternoon.

Pronina was shot by Charles Anthony "Tony" Nelson, 30, in her home at 290 W. Williams Way on Sept. 15. Nelson then shot and killed himself, according to police. Pronina was flown by medical helicopter in extremely critical condition to an undisclosed hospital.

"Angela was an organ donor. We understand that once doctors had determined she would not survive her injuries, the decision was made to harvest her organs," Moab police stated on Tuesday.

"Though the loss of her life is exceptionally tragic, her last gift to the world was life and opportunity for others in needs of organs," Chief Lex Bell said in a prepared statement. "We offer our sincere condolences to Angela's family and fiends, both here in Moab and back home in the Ukraine."

Police say they are still interviewing people as part of their investigation, including Pronina's family who still live in Ukraine. Investigators say they hope to release more information about the case next week.

Nelson was already known to police at the time of the shooting. When he was 16, he was charged as an adult with murder in 7th District Court. The case was later adjudicated in juvenile court, and the adult case was dismissed.

But in 2017, when Nelson was 21, he was charged with stealing several firearms and burying them in his backyard. Nelson was convicted of two counts of theft in 2018, second-degree felonies. After originally being placed on probation, he violated the conditions of his probation, and Nelson was ordered in 2020 to serve his original sentence of one to 15 years in the Utah State Prison.

After being granted parole and having his parole revoked several times, according to records from the Board of Pardons and Parole, Nelson was last paroled in March of 2025.

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