WEST VALLEY CITY — A homicide suspect who has been on the run from police for several weeks was caught hiding on a roof early Tuesday.
Tyson Yellowbear, also known as Tyson Hadley, is accused of shooting two people at a party near
3500 South and 500 East on March 25, killing one. He was charged in 3rd District Court with murder and two counts of attempted homicide, all first-degree felonies.
Tuesday, investigators revealed Yellowbear shot at a third person at the party but missed. Also, a second suspect was named and is thought to have picked up the gun used to kill Dan Tapuaialupe that night.
Charges were filed against Sakalia Ataata, 21, for his involvement in the deadly altercation at the party. He was booked into jail Sunday after he attempted to flee and was charged Tuesday with possession of a firearm, a second-degree felony, obstructing justice, a third-degree felony, and avoiding arrest, a class A misdemeanor. A victim and other witnesses reported seeing Ataata arrive and leave with Yellowbear. They also reported seeing him pick up the gun.
Investigators received information that Yellowbear had been hanging out in the area of 3200 West and 3400 South and could possibly be in a white pickup truck, said West Valley City Police Capt. Tom McLachlan.
A West Valley City officer spotted the truck about 5:50 a.m. Tuesday. Yellowbear was the passenger, McLachlan said. It sped away and stopped near 3900 South and 3200 West, where Yellowbear got out and ran, he said.
While officers from several agencies were surrounding the area, Juanita Bay was heading out to her back deck with her boyfriend, Ray Bobee, about 6:20 a.m. for a cup of coffee, unaware of what was happening just a couple blocks away.
While they drank their coffee, Bay's 11-year-old son came out and told her he thought he heard something on the roof. Bay couldn't see anything and determined it was probably a tree branch.
Bobee left to go to work but called Bay just a few minutes later.
"He called to say there were cops everywhere and to lock the doors," Bay said.
Police had stopped Bobee's van to look for Yellowbear. Bay told him to tell police what her son had heard. Just then, she, too, could hear a noise on her gravel roof near her swamp cooler located directly above her son's room.
Officers immediately ran down the street and surrounded Bay's house, 3919 S. Bonniewood Drive (3380 West), located just a few houses away from Pioneer Elementary School.
Bay, her son and 12-year-old daughter locked the doors and ran to the bottom floor of the house.
"I saw a cop with a rifle pointed up at the roof," she said.
Although she didn't see the actual arrest, Bay said she heard the officers yell, "Get down, get down."
Yellowbear was found hiding near the swamp cooler and arrested without further incident. The swamp cooler cover had been messed with, as if Yellowbear was trying to hide under it, Bay said.
Investigators retraced Yellowbear's steps through several fences he had scaled while running away. They found a 9 mm handgun and some clothing in a flower and tomato patch.
"I'm still a little bit shaky," Bay said after the incident was over. "It was quite nerve-racking."
Contributing: Wendy Leonard
E-mail: preavy@desnews.com