WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah, Oct. 24, 2019 (Gephardt Daily) — West Valley City Police officials have announced they have arrested three people in connection with the July 14 murder of Neko Noa Jardine.
Jardine, 19, was shot outside a house party in West Valley City.
The WVCPD on Thursday tweeted the announcement:
“ARRESTS MADE IN NEKO JARDINE HOMICIDE: we have arrested 3 people in connection with the July murder of Neko Jardine. Jose Joel Nunez Perez (11/19/00) Arnol Francisco Perez-Zelaya (10/4/98) Luis Sebastian-Enciso (10/18/00) Have been booked on multiple charges, including murder.”
The shootings
Jardine was mortally wounded at about 12:10 a.m. that day when he and two other young men were confronted by unknown suspects outside a home near 5600 West and 4300 South.
WVCPD Lt. Shane Matheson told Gephardt Daily at the time that Jardine was shot in the neck, chest and abdomen and was taken by a friend to the hospital, where he immediately underwent surgery.
Jardine died later that day.
The charges
Sebastian-Enciso, 19, was booked on suspicion of three counts of murder, a first-degree felony; and aggravated burglary, a first-degree felony.
Perez Zelaya, 21, was booked on suspicion of two counts of murder, a first degree felony; and one count of aggravated assault, a third-degree felony. $500,000
Nunez-Perez, 18, was booked on suspicion of two counts of murder, a first degree felony; and one count of obstruction of justice, a second-degree felony.
Each man’s bail was set at $500,000 in the case. Sebastian-Enciso has additional bail set in an unrelated case.
A probable cause statement filed Sebastian-Enciso case says forensic examination revealed two separate 9mm handguns were used in the homicide, and one was found to match shootings Aug. 24 in West Valley City, on Aug. 25 in Salt Lake City, and on Sept. 14 in Sandy City.
It was learned that Perez-Zelaya (a co-defendant) had gone to the suspect’s house on the nights of Aug. 24, 2019, and Aug. 25, 2019, after the shootings that occurred on both nights, the statement says. On Aug. 24, 2019, Luis was identified as a suspect by witnesses. Sebastian-Enciso assaulted the victims in the confines of the victim’s attached garage, the statement says.
Sebastian-Enciso lives a block away from where the homicide occurred, the statement says. A warrant on his house turned up a 9mm handgun in his bedroom.
Gephardt Daily will have more information on this case as news breaks.
