2 accused of taking shoes at gunpoint, firing shots

WEST VALLEY CITY — Two men that police say have gang ties, have been charged in connection with a robbery during which at least one person was shot at.

Aliga M. Malual, 22, of West Valley City, and Sandy Kuj, 18, of Salt Lake City, were each charged Tuesday in 3rd District Court with two counts of aggravated robbery, a first-degree felony; obstruction of justice, a second-degree felony; and causing a riot, a third-degree felony. Malual was additionally charged with three counts of discharge of a firearm, a second-degree felony.

On Aug. 21, West Valley police responded to a report of a shooting in a parking lot near 5500 West and 3500 South.

"Officers learned there were multiple suspects running from the location," according to charging documents.

Police found Kuj at a nearby laundry business and located a gun inside a shopping cart, the charges state. Surveillance video "showed Kuj was holding the handgun in his right hand, and tosses the handgun into the shopping cart and then starts running southbound through the parking lot," the charges state.

Investigators also found three victims in the parking lot in addition to two bullets and three shell casings.

One victim told police "he was robbed and shot at" and that "the suspect took everything, including his black Air Force (shoes)," charging documents state.

Another victim claimed "he was hanging out on the south side of the parking lot when three guys tried to jump him. (He) stated that he was fighting one of the males and at one point another one of the males had pulled out a gun and pointed it at him," according to the charges.

That victim claimed he was running away when he was shot at twice, the charges state.

When Malual was questioned, he claimed he was with several other people, including his brother, when someone picked a fight with his brother.

"Yeah and after that there was another guy that's helping fight my brother, so they were trying to jump and after that I tell my brother to give me my blick. I don't know what happened, shots or something and then cops coming and then everyone started running," he told police while explaining that a "blick" is his gun, the charges state.

Prosecutors say Malual "is alleged to have participated in violent conduct with other individuals, resulting in the discharge of a firearm three times. The alleged victims reported being robbed of their possessions during the altercation and being shot at."

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