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SALT LAKE CITY -- A Bluffdale man accused of shooting a member of a local neighborhood watch group was formally charged Monday with attempted murder.
The Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office has charged 43-year-old Reginald Campos with one count of attempted murder and two counts of aggravated assault for shooting 36-year-old David Serbeck on July 22.
"We determined that there was not a reason to use deadly force in this situation. There is just simply not a justification for that shooting," said Salt Lake County Deputy District Attorney Alicia Cook.
Sometime before 11:00 that night, Serbeck and another man were patrolling their neighborhood and began questioning a group of girls walking down the street near 1570 West and 15500 South (Iron Horse Boulevard) about a recent rash of vehicle burglaries and vandalism.
The girls drove home, and Campos' daughter told him they felt the men were stalking them. Campos sent three of the girls inside and he and his daughter went looking for the two men.
According to the probable cause statement, Campos pulled his SUV in front of Serbeck's vehicle and "slammed on [his] breaks." Campos then pointed a gun at Serbeck and told him to "put his hands up." But Serbeck was also armed.
"The fact that both parties had guns was not a particularly difficult aspect of the case," Cook said.
That's because the statement says Serbeck "exited his vehicle with his own firearm, holding it upside down by the barrel. He then placed the gun on the ground and kicked it away, disarming himself."
That's when prosecutors claim Campos fired two shots; one going through Serbeck's shoulder and exiting through his back, leaving him paralyzed.
The district attorney's office filed charges despite Campos' claim of self-defense.
Those who know Campos are reacting to the news.
"I still firmly believe that Reggie is a good guy. He's a good neighbor, a loving father, a loving husband, as I stated before. ... He is still very much supported and loved by a lot of people," said friend KanaMarie Poulson.
If convicted, Campos could spend the rest of his life in prison. Attempted murder is a first-degree felony carrying a three-years-to-life prison sentence; aggravated assault is a third-degree felony with a possible prison sentence of zero to five years.
E-mail: wjohnson@ksl.com
