Judge gives man consecutive sentences for 'horrendous' double killing at party

SALT LAKE CITY — Ivan Valenzuela's sister stood next to a photo of him in a courtroom on Monday as she talked about how hard it was to explain how hurt her family has been since his loss five years ago.

"I don't want him to be seen as just another kid … gone to gun violence. He's my brother, he is a son, he's a cousin, he's a friend and he was taken from us for really no reason," she said.

The woman said no sentence is enough for the man who killed him, because that man still gets to call his family and be alive while her brother doesn't. She said her family can't laugh without feeling guilty, and always feels as if there is a piece missing.

"Ivan impacted the lives of many and was taken too soon from all of us," she said.

Valenzuela, 18, and Juan Valentine Rodriguez, 19, were shot and killed on Aug. 15, 2021 at a house party in Magna. The man who fired the shots killing them and injuring a woman was sentenced on Monday after pleading guilty to the charges.

Patrocinio Perez, 24, was ordered to spend 15 years to life in prison for two counts of aggravated murder and three terms of five years to life in prison for felony discharge of a firearm, first-degree felonies. Third District Judge Heather Brereton ordered each of those sentences to run consecutively, meaning he will spend at least 30 years in prison, calling the killings "horrendous" and "senseless."

"I hope that it is clear to you, Mr. Perez, just the longstanding repercussions and consequences that other people are having to deal with as a result of your actions," she said, noting that what they are dealing with is "palpable" in the courtroom.

In a separate case, she ordered him to spend three to 15 years in prison for felony discharge of a firearm, a second-degree felony, and three to five years in prison for felony discharge of a firearm, a third-degree felony but ordered those sentences to run concurrently with each other and the sentences in the other case.

An 'ambush'

A letter written by the injured woman, Autumn Baker, and read at the hearing said at the time she was a 17-year-old teenager who was fun and outgoing — but that all changed in six minutes. Now, she suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder and has a hard time sleeping or dealing with loud noises.

"He took two innocent souls from this world, and half of mine ... He left Ivan, Juan and me to die," she said, saying it is not fair that Perez is alive.

Deputy Salt Lake County attorney Vincent Meister said since there were multiple victims, the sentences should be consecutive. He listed not just the three who were shot, but also the "dozens of young kids" at the party who were changed because two people were "randomly executed in their presence that night."

The attorney said Perez crawled up the stairs at the home so he could get close without being detected, shot Rodriguez at close proximity without warning and then within seconds shot Valenzuela in the back of the head.

"There was no warning ... it was literally an ambush of both of these individuals," Meister said.

He said the bullet that was shot at Rodriguez hit Baker's arm.

Meister said the idea that Perez was acting in self defense is "ridiculous." He said Perez admitted he did not know the names of the men and did not know them. Perez reportedly told law enforcement officers that he had seen a haircut associated with a rival gang, but neither of the men had that haircut.

The attorney also said he bragged about "doing drills" and "upgrading his belt" on social media, bragging that his ammunition was "ultra lethal."

He said after the killing, Perez was involved in multiple shootings before he was eventually arrested just under a month later after a shooting at Liberty Park, including one where he shot into a car that was the wrong color in the wrong area "all for bragging rights."

"Anything less than a life sentence for this defendant is a gift," Meister said.

Taking responsibility

Perez's attorney, Rudy Bautista, says he has since realized "the stupidity of his ways," and now values life.

"He just wants everyone to know that he takes full responsibility for his actions. He knows he was living a life that was completely wrong," the attorney said.

Perez spoke and expressed an apology to the families of the victims.

"I know what I did, it was wrong, but I just want to apologize, that's it," he said.

He pleaded guilty as part of a plea deal where prosecutors agreed to recommend sentences of 15 years to life instead of 25 years to life in prison for the aggravated murder charge. The plea deal also dismissed charges for obstruction of justice and possession of a weapon as a restricted person, second-degree felonies, and all charges in two other cases filed against Perez.

Charging documents said when questioned by police Perez told them he shot the two men because he "believed they were talking negative about his homies."

Before issuing his sentence, Brereton told Perez that she thinks the plea deal he was offered was a "gift," although she decided to follow what it recommended. She said he not only killed two people and hurt another but put many people at risk and caused lots of "young children" to watch their friends die and try to save them.

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