SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, March 16, 2018 (Gephardt Daily) — Police have identified a Salt Lake City suspect they say admitted to shooting his upstairs neighbor in the face Thursday during an ongoing dispute over noise.
Jimmy Riojas, 47, was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail for aggravated assault, a second-degree felony, in the shooting of his neighbor, who was hit in the cheek by a bullet. The neighbor was not seriously injured, said Lt. Dave Cracroft, Salt Lake City Police Department.
Cracroft told Gephardt Daily at the scene that police received a call at about 9:50 p.m. Thursday of a shooting at 1794 W. Shannon Circle.
“Post Miranda, AP (accused person) stated that he got into an argument with his neighbor victim, who lives above the AP, in an ongoing noise dispute,” the probable cause statement says.
“Victim said he went down to talk with the AP and they got into an argument through the AP’s door and window. The AP said the victim was banging on his door and window, calling the AP a (derogatory word), trying to get into his apartment, and was also saying that (the) victim was going to come in and kill him.
“AP also stated victim told the AP to come outside and fight him. Victim said AP was telling him to come into his apartment so he could shoot him. AP and victim said that AP pointed his gun at victim through his apartment window and told victim he was going to shoot him. AP said he fired one shot at victim, who then ran away. Victim was struck in the left cheek, where the bullet then also exited the left side of his face.”
The victim was transported to University Hospital for treatment of his wound, which Cracroft described as “a hole in his cheek.”
“Initially, we thought it might be gang-related, but neither of our participants are showing any gang affiliation,” Cracroft said.
Police obtained a warrant to go in and retrieve the handgun and conduct a search for any other evidence.
