SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Feb. 29, 2016 (Gephardt Daily) — Juan Zalazar has pleaded guilty to one count of manslaughter and one count of aggravated robbery for his involvement in the 2015 death of David Marsh, the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office announced Monday.
Both are first-degree felonies.
Marsh, a 61-year-old convenience store clerk, was killed on March 18, 2015 during an armed robbery at Lee Mart in Murray.
Sentencing is scheduled in the Third District Court on April 26 at 1 p.m. The manslaughter count carries a sentence of five years to life in prison. The aggravated robbery count carries a possible sentence of 10 years to life.
For his role in the incident, co-defendant Martin Castillo, 20, pleaded guilty to aggravated robbery on Dec. 16, 2015. Sentencing for Castillo has not been yet been scheduled. The third co-defendant, Alexis Alan Garcia, is scheduled to go to trial on May 10.
Castillo admitted to driving the getaway vehicle when Garcia and Zalazar, 24, went inside the convenience store, at 5909 S. 700 West, and robbed the clerk at gunpoint.
During the robbery, the store clerk, David Marsh, 62, threw an empty cash register at one of the men, later identified as Zalazar, as he ran out the door. Zalazar reacted by turning and firing several shots at Marsh. Investigators say two customers found Marsh a short time later and called 911.
The well-liked, longtime worker died a week later from his injuries.
