Five gang members charged in Utah mall shooting

SALT LAKE CITY — Five people were formally charged Tuesday in 3rd District Court for a shooting that happened just outside Fashion Place mall in Murray between rival gang members that injured two and created a panic for all mall patrons.

Steven Alexander Perez-Hernandez, 18, of Sandy, Jorge Luis Crecencio-Gonzalez, 19, of Park City, Arian Huerta, 20, Flaviano "Flavio" Aguilar, 20, and Jesus Joshua "Psycho" Payan-Mendoza, 19, of Heber City, were all charged with causing a riot, a third-degree felony.

In addition, Perez-Hernandez was charged with discharge of a firearm causing serious injury, a first-degree felony; two counts of obstruction of justice, one first-degree felony and one second-degree felony. Aguilar and Crecencio-Gonzalez were also charged with obstructing justice, a first-degree felony for Aguilar and a second-degree felony for the Crecencio-Gonzalez.

All charges are subject to gang-enhanced penalties if convicted.

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On Jan. 13, a man and woman were shot just outside an entrance of Fashion Place mall, 6191 S. State. The man was shot three times in the abdomen and legs and the woman once in the leg, according to charging documents.

Detectives determined that seven members of the Florencia 13 gang — the five defendants plus two 17-year-old boys — confronted four members of the Nortenos gang inside the mall, according to charging documents. The two groups were inside the Fanzz store, and according to surveillance video, "appear to argue and then begin to leave the store at the same time," the charges state.

At least one of the defendants told police that the man who was shot and his friend had agreed to fight the Florencia gang members outside, the charges state.

Shortly after exiting the mall, one of the 17-year-olds shot at the victims, according to the charges. One of the Norteno members then fired several rounds at the Florencia 13 group but did not hit anyone, according to charging documents.

Another man claimed it was Perez-Hernandez who told the teen boy to shoot, the charges state. Aguilar told police he sent money to that teen to help him continue to evade police, the charges state.

As of Tuesday, Murray police said the two 17-year-old boys had not been arrested.