A man who police say brought his infant son with him while he conducted a drug deal, and then ended up shooting and killing a 17-year-old boy when he thought he was being robbed is facing serious charges.

Deyvis Alejandro Velasquez-Galeas, 25, of Salt Lake City, was charged Monday in 3rd District Court with murder and illegal discharge of a firearm, both first-degree felonies; and drug possession with intent to distribute and child endangerment, third-degree felonies.

On April 1, about 12:30 a.m., Velasquez-Galeas went to a bar near 100 N. Broadway in Tooele with his girlfriend and their 4-month-old son where he had arranged to sell THC cartridges in the parking lot, according to charging documents.

Velasquez-Galeas told police that a car arrived with a group that was allegedly going to buy the cartridges. A boy got into Velasquez-Galeas' car "while another approached the vehicle with what appeared to be a black rifle. Mr. Velasquez said he believed he was being attacked, so he pulled out a pistol, inserted a loaded magazine, and chambered a round," the charges state.

View Comments

A third person, a 17-year-old boy, allegedly approached the driver's side door, opened it and "lunged" at Velasquez-Galeas, prompting him to fire three rounds, striking the teen twice in the face, according to the charges. The boy was later pronounced dead at a local hospital. His name has not been released.

"It was explained to both Mr. Velasquez and his girlfriend that they were not justified in defending themselves while they were committing a felony, and by bringing their baby along they placed it in danger, knowing they were committing a crime with great risk," police noted in their booking affidavit.

The girlfriend, Maricela Raburn, 23, of Tooele, was charged Monday with drug possession with intent to distribute, a third-degree felony; and child abuse, a class A misdemeanor.

The other two boys allegedly involved, ages 17 and 15, were booked into juvenile detention for investigation of aggravated robbery.

Join the Conversation
Looking for comments?
Find comments in their new home! Click the buttons at the top or within the article to view them — or use the button below for quick access.