Police booked two men into jail early Wednesday for the shooting of a Mexican national near Capitol Hill.
Manuel Portillo, who would have celebrated his 23rd birthday Friday, was killed just after midnight during an attempted robbery. Detectives said he suffered gunshot wounds to his arm and back."It appears they were trying to rob him. We don't think they knew him," said Salt Lake police Sgt. Sam Hemingway. Detectives arrested James Delli, 18, and Glenn Jackman, also 18, following the shooting. They were booked into the Salt Lake County Jail for investigation of murder.
The pair was found inside a house at 458 N. 300 West; the shooting occurred in the street outside the address.
The death marks the 27th homicide in the city this year - an all-time high. The previous record was 25 in 1990. It is the third killing linked to an attempted robbery; detectives have arrested and charged suspects in each case.
Portillo, who has a history of drug dealing, was deported from the United States in 1990, Hemingway said. He has been in the area for at least two years and used several aliases.
Lt. Dick Johnson, the commander on scene after the shooting, said Portillo ran to 450 N. 300 West and collapsed in the yard. He was taken to LDS Hospital where he died shortly after arrival.
Detectives are looking for both a gun and a knife believed used during the incident.
Paul Jones, who moved in just eight months ago, said the area is dangerous and a "frightening neighborhood" to live in.
Police responded earlier this year to a fourplex less than a block away from Wednesday's crime scene after receiving an anonymous call that two people were dead inside the house. Detectives found a man and woman who had been shot. No arrests have been made in that case, but investigators suspect the killings were drug-related.
Vice officers also busted a suspected brothel on 400 North in early October. Hundreds of men frequented the business since it began operating in early 1995.
Members of the area's Neighborhood Watch Program are shocked at the violence and criminal activity on their streets. They say the best solution is for more people to get involved.
"(One of the suspects) in this shooting last night was well known in the neighborhood, and we think he was responsible for a lot of graffiti and some burglaries. No one called on him because they were scared of him," said Robin Webb, former coordinator of the Capitol Hill Neighborhood Watch.
Residents interested in joining the program should call new coordinator JoAnn Legg at 355-8396.