WASHINGTON, Utah, July 5, 2024 (Gephardt Daily) — A 17-year-old accused of shooting and killing a man while robbing a Washington City apartment June 30 has been charged with murder as an adult.
Simeon Gail Calnimptewa faces several charges, including first-degree felony aggravated murder, after police say a robbery resulted in a fatal shooting when the residents returned to their apartment.
Washington City police say Bransen Bryels-Nechanicky and a woman left their apartment at 20 N. Red Trail Lane about 10:30 p.m. June 29 and returned home about 1:45 a.m. June 30.
Once home, the couple found “several of their belongings to be in a pile in the living room which had not been there previously when they left,” according to charges filed in 5th District Court.
The woman told police that shortly after they arrived home, “an unknown male wearing a dark colored hoodie and ski mask exited one of the bedrooms of their apartment,” charging documents say.
The man then brandished a firearm at them, and Bryels-Nechanicky “proceeded to charge at this unknown intruder,” the charges say.
During the altercation, Calnimptewa shot Bryels-Nechanicky three times, according to charging documents.
The teen then turned the gun on the woman and commanded her to open the door, which she did, the charges say.
The woman told police the intruder grabbed a jar containing an unknown amount of money from the counter of the apartment before fleeing on foot, charging documents say.
Officers arrived and found Bryels-Nechanicky in the kitchen/living room area with multiple gunshot wounds. Despite life-saving measures from officers and medical personal, he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police obtained video from a Ring doorbell security camera from a nearby apartment that showed a person leaving the victims’ apartment in a hoodie, baggy pants and a facial covering. He’s later captured on video without the mask and holding a jar of money, charges say.
Police used the security camera footage to identify the intruder as Calnimptewa, who also lived at the apartment complex and had “prior involvements” with police, according to charging documents.
Officers later found Calnimptewa asleep in the bedroom of his apartment, where they also located a hoodie, mask and gloves matching those in the video and containing “visible blood,” the charges say.
Police also found a jar of money in Calnimptewa’s bedroom, along with two handguns and a spent shell casing. Marijuana/THC vape cartridges also were found near the handguns, according to charging documents.
In addition to the aggravated murder charge, Calnimptewa has been charged with:
- Three counts of discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury, a first-degree felony
- Aggravated robbery, a first-degree felony
- Aggravated burglary, a first-degree felony
- Aggravated assault, a third-degree felony
- Two counts of possession or use of a firearm by a restricted person, a third-degree felony
- Two counts of possession of a dangerous weapon by a minor, a third-degree felony
