LAYTON, Utah, Oct. 6, 2021 (Gephardt Daily) — More details are being released after a man allegedly shot his ex-girlfriend’s date in Layton on Tuesday night.
A probable cause statement from the 2nd District Court of Farmington said Aaron Lopez Gaitan, 36, is facing charges of:
- Attempted murder, a first-degree felony
- Aggravated robbery, a first-degree felony
- Possession of a dangerous weapon by a restricted person, a second-degree felony
- Two counts of aggravated assault, a third-degree felony
- Felony discharge of a firearm, a third-degree felony
- Two counts of domestic violence in the presence of a child, a third-degree felony
Layton dispatch advised of a shooting that had just occurred at the address in the area of 400 N. Main St. on Tuesday, the statement said. A male victim was later located at Main Street and Gentile Street after flagging down citizens for help. The male victim was found to have a gunshot wound to his left thigh as well as abrasions on the left side of his head. The victim was transported to McKay-Dee Hospital in Ogden.
Officers interviewed a woman at the residence at North Main Street. She said the suspect, identified as Gaitan, was her ex-boyfriend. She said she had just arrived back from a date with the shooting victim when the incident occurred.
The woman said they were parked in the driveway of the residence when Gaitan “appeared suddenly” and opened the door to the victim’s vehicle. The woman allegedly heard Gaitan say he was going to kill the victim and then threatened the woman that if she didn’t get out of the truck he would kill her too, the statement said.
She said she saw Gaitan strike the victim “several times in the head with a handgun,” the statement said. She said she tried to get between the men, and that Gaitan allegedly hit her in the face.
The victim told the woman to go inside, and as she did, she allegedly saw Gaitan point a handgun at the victim’s vehicle as he was pulling out of the driveway. The victim then turned around and drove back; the woman saw Gaitan allegedly run up to the passenger side of the truck and fire a round through the window with a small black handgun, the statement said.
Investigators went to the hospital after the victim was admitted and spoke with him; he described a similar sequence of events as what the woman reported. He also recalled Gaitan saying he was going to kill them both; he also said that the suspect took his cellphone from him.
Other individuals, who were inside of the residence, as well as other neighbors, were also interviewed. They advised they could hear gunshots, but did not see them. Two of those individuals were juveniles who were inside the home.
Investigators located two 9×18 Makarov casings in the driveway of the residence. The victim’s pickup truck had a bullet hole in the passenger window as well as in the driver’s side door. Investigators also located the victim’s cellphone lying in the driveway and an Apple iPad belonging to the victim, which the suspect had broken, lying in the roadway in front of the residence.
Officials received information that Gaitan might be at an address in Clinton.
Investigators located his phone number and pinged his phone; they then found him at a residence in the area of 1600 W. 800 North. He was located at the address and taken into custody. He subsequently refused to speak with investigators.
Other individuals at the address told investigators Gaitan had made statements to them that night that he was involved in a fight, and that fists were thrown and shots were fired, the statement said.
Investigators found Gaitan had been convicted of domestic violence assault in 2016, making him a person restricted from being in possession of a firearm.
He was transported to Salt Lake County Jail, where he is being held without bail.
