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WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah, April 29, 2019 (Gephardt Daily) — West Valley City police have arrested two suspects in connection with the homicide of 22-year-old Jake Gengelbach, who was found shot to death in the parking lot of a restaurant early Sunday morning.
The suspects are Hassan al Rekabi, 18, and Samuel Niu, 19.
West Valley City Police Department tweeted late Monday night that as SWAT was preparing to serve a search warrant at the home of al Rekabi on Monday afternoon, al Rekabi left in a vehicle.
Officers followed him to a nearby parking lot, where they took him into custody for questioning, the tweet states.
“Hassan al Rekabi was booked for Criminal Homicide,” WVCPD tweeted. “His residence was searched for evidence of that crime.
“Samuel Niu … is believed to have been present when the victim was shot. After being interviewed, he was booked for obstruction.”
Officers were dispatched to the Overlook Point Apartment Complex, 4612 S. 2930 West, at 1:40 a.m. Sunday after receiving multiple calls reporting shots fired, according to an earlier WVCPD news release.
Officers did not find anything suspicious at the apartment complex; however, an officer checked the business parking lots in the area and found a man lying in the parking lot of Hire’s Restaurant at 2900 W. 4700 South.
“The male had injuries consistent with being shot, and bullet casings were discovered on the ground in the area of the body,” the news release said.
Police later identified the victim as Gengelbach.
Gephardt Daily is following this story and will update as more information is made available.
It is so heartbreaking the world we live in. Why must there be such hatred and violence. Why are we so divided when we are all human, we are all one and all a piece of a big soul, a higher being. Where is the love! I have known Jake his entire life, he was a good kid with a warm heart and would never want to hurt anyone and never deserved something like this. What is most sad is that others that witnessed this, ran off and just left him there with no call to 911, left him to die alone in a parking lot. What kind of people would do such a thing. This is devastating! My heart hurts for him and for all of us that love him so much. I am so grateful these people have been caught. Let’s pray they are convicted! If anyone has more information to support the case, please provide it. Those that were there, please step up and do what is right, if not it will haunt you forever and you cannot run from yourself.