GRANTSVILLE — Three more people have been arrested in connection with a weekend kidnapping and execution attempt of a man, reportedly because of his testimony in another case, bringing the total number of arrests to four.
Members of the Joint Criminal Apprehension Team, the Metro Gang Unit and the Grantsville Police Department arrested Cory Northrup, 31, and Derek Andrews, 20, in Murray about 10 p.m. Wednesday.
Investigators received information about a possible address for Northrup and spotted both him and Andrews leaving a residence near 700 West and 5500 South and getting into a vehicle. The driver went a short distance to an area near 6400 South and stopped.
Before the two could get out of their car, officers in seven vehicles swarmed them and took them into custody without incident, said Grantsville Police Lt. Steve Barrett.
Both men were involved in the ordeal, according to police. But jail records noted that Andrews apparently "did not help or have knowledge that they planned to actually kill (the victim). He was present and acted in like mind in the kidnapping."
Eli R. Johnson, who is accused of being the gunman, was located in Magna Thursday and, according to police, had threatened to harm himself if they approached him. Police pursued him and he cut his own throat and was taken to a hospital for treatment. It is unknown what condition he is in or whether he will recover.
Johnson is not only wanted for his involvement in this incident, but has a warrant out for his arrest that was issued in August. He is listed as being on parole for robbery (second-degree) and possession/purchase of a dangerous weapon by a restricted person (third-degree).
Northrup, Andrews and Johnson were reportedly among the five people who kidnapped a man from a Midvale motel Friday and drove, in two cars, to a remote area of Grantsville. The victim was told to walk up to a fence and hold it, facing away from a man with a gun, according to Tooele County Jail records.
But when the gun misfired, the kidnapping victim saw it as his chance to escape and jumped over the fence and ran across a snowy field to a random residence for help.
The victim told police he was "to be killed for his testimony in the Troy Turnbow case in Cottonwood Heights," according to a jail report. Turnbow has been in the Salt Lake County Jail since October for investigation of trying to run over a police officer and being involved in a chop shop in Midvale.
Also arrested at the chop shop was Michelle Gallegos, 33. She was charged, along with Turnbow, in 3rd District Court on Sept. 23 with burglary of a vehicle and theft.
Gallegos was arrested earlier this week in connection with the Midvale kidnapping and attempted murder in Grantsville.
Police say they are looking for Jamie L. Turnbow, Troy Turnbow's sister.
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