19-year-old woman shot, killed in Cedar
CEDAR CITY — A 19-year-old woman was shot and killed early Sunday morning.
In a prepared statement, Cedar City Police Sgt. J.R. Robinson said that upon arrival at the 400 North block of 400 West around 9:30 a.m. officers encountered a male leaving the scene. He was taken into custody for questioning and is considered a person of interest in the investigation.
Inside the apartment police found the body of Misty Lamoreaux, dead of an apparent gunshot wound.
The investigation is ongoing.
Robinson did not return calls from the Deseret News Sunday night seeking more information on the man or events preceding the incident.
—Clayton Norlen
Mom, 3 kids OK after drive-by shooting
WEST VALLEY CITY — A woman and her three children were not injured after an alleged gang member fired several rounds of ammunition at her vehicle in what investigators believe was an unprovoked drive-by shooting.
Just after 10 p.m. Thursday, a 58-year-old woman was with her three children when a man driving a vehicle with three others inside, all of them documented gang members, fired six rounds at her, said West Valley Police Lt. Bill Merritt.
One shot hit the radiator, but the others missed, he said.
A West Valley officer happened to be nearby, in the area of 3700 South and 4000 West, when he heard the gunshots and then saw a vehicle drive past him at a high rate of speed. The officer followed the vehicle until backup officers got into position, and he then pulled it over.
Police found ammunition and a holster, but no gun, Merritt said.
One person inside the car eventually admitted the gun was tossed out the window when the group saw the police following them. Investigators retraced their steps and were able to find the weapon, and they learned it was stolen from Salt Lake City a few weeks ago.
Although the four in the car were determined to be gang members, the woman they shot at did not have any gang affiliation, Merritt said.
"We don't know what the motivation was. We don't know if it was mistaken identity or racial or what," he said.
Justin Espinoza, 27, was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail for investigation of attempted homicide. four counts of aggravated assault, obstruction of justice, six counts of committing a drive-by shooting, and a restricted person in possession of a firearm, all felonies.
A 14-year-old passenger was also booked into jail for investigation of obstructing justice.
— Pat Reavy
Cause of '08 plane crash still a mystery
MOAB — A year after a plane crash killed all 10 people aboard in eastern Utah, investigators still are searching for its cause.
National Transportation Safety Board spokesman Keith Holloway says it may take another six months to a year before a factual report is issued.
The twin-engine plane crashed shortly after takeoff from Canyonlands Field Airport near Moab on Aug. 22, 2008, killing the pilot and nine employees from Southwest Skin and Cancer Red Canyon Aesthetics & Medical Spa in Cedar City.
The dermatology clinic employees had flown to Moab to provide cancer screening and treatment to local residents, and were headed back home when the crash occurred.
An independent review commissioned by the company that owned the plane ruled out pilot error.
— Associated Press
Man's body is found in the Jordan river
Rescuers pulled the body of a man from the Jordan River Saturday night, Salt Lake Police Lt. Mark Scharman said.
A passerby spotted the man in the river near 700 North and Jordan River Parkway at about midnight and called police, who recovered the body of a man in his 30s out of the river.
Police report there was no sign of trauma and it appeared the body was not in the water long.
No cause of death has been determined and police are still investigating. The man's name has not been released.
— Aaron Falk and Lana Groves