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WEST JORDAN — A man who police described as the "shot caller for the 600-block street gang" was arrested Friday in connection with the murder of Hugo Lucero-Perez in West Jordan in March. A probable cause statement said 18-year-old Vincent Caleb Vasquez is accused of obstruction of justice for instructing Lucero's alleged murderer, 19-year-old Tayden Huntsman, to throw his gun into a river after the shooting. The documents also allege Vasquez "offered to help gather money for (Huntsman) to get him out of the state." Huntsman, who police said is also a documented member of the same gang, was arrested in March on suspicion of aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm, witness tampering and obstruction of justice, all felony charges. Vasquez was arrested while he was present at a detention hearing for Huntsman. He was initially suspected of the crime after police served a search warrant on Huntsman's phone and found the two had texted each other about ditching the gun on the day of Lucero's murder, the statement said. After the arrest, Vasquez told officers "he contacted friends, asking them for money with the intent to give the money to (Huntsman) to help him," the statement said. However, he told police he wasn't able to raise any funds. Police documents also say Vasquez admitted to officers that he told Huntsman to throw the gun into the river, but he wasn't sure if Huntsman had actually done it. In arguing for the continued detention of Vasquez, police said he is a documented gang member, and releasing him from jail could allow him to "notify any other involved parties, or further dispose of evidence for this case." Vasquez is accused of one count of obstruction of justice, a felony.
