SAN JUAN COUNTY, Utah, March 7, 2019 (Gephardt Daily) — The FBI Salt Lake City is asking for the public’s assistance locating a suspect wanted for alleged involvement in the death of a man near Aneth in San Juan County in 2017.
The FBI said in a news release Thursday that Philip Rentz, 35, also goes by Phillip Rentz, Jr.
The news release said that on July 5, 2017, a vehicle allegedly driven by Rentz, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, went off the road near Aneth, while within the exterior boundaries of the Navajo Nation reservation. One of the two passengers in the vehicle, also an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Subsequent testing indicated that Rentz had a blood alcohol content of .217.
A federal arrest warrant was issued in the United States District Court, District of Utah, Central Division, Salt Lake City, one year ago on March 7, 2018, and Rentz was charged with involuntary manslaughter while within Indian Country.
Rentz is Native American, and described as having black hair and brown eyes, being 5 feet 9 inches tall and 145 to 155 pounds. Rentz has tattoos on his chest and both arms. His occupation is listed as a horse trainer and “roustabout,” a term meaning an unskilled or casual laborer.
Rentz has previously resided in Aneth, and Montezuma Creek, Utah, as well as Cortez, Colorado.
Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of Rentz is asked to call the FBI’s Salt Lake City Field Office at 801-579-6189. You may also contact your local FBI office, or the nearest American Embassy or Consulate.
