Second suspect in custody after shooting of Ogden brothers

OGDEN, Utah, Feb. 15, 2019 (Gephardt Daily) — A second suspect wanted in the shooting of two brothers in Ogden has been booked into the Weber County Jail.

Daniel Viegas Gonzalez, 28, has been booked on suspicion of:

• Aggravated murder, a first-degree felony
• Aggravated murder (attempted), a first-degree felony
• Aggravated robbery, a first-degree felony
• Obstruction of justice, a second-degree felony
• Possession of a dangerous weapon by a restricted person, a third-degree felony

The charges are identical to those filed against suspect Theron Nelson Farmer, 23, who was taken into custody Tuesday following a SWAT response to an apartment building in Layton, where Farmer had been staying.

Both men were wanted in the Feb. 11 shooting of Kamron Johnson, 18, and his brother, Eric Johnson, Jr., 20. Kamron Johnson died at the scene, and Eric Johnson was transported to McKay-Dee Hospital, where he remained at last report, in critical condition.

A statement released Friday afternoon by the Ogden Police Department said Gonzalez was taken into custody Thursday.

“On Feb. 14, 2019, Ogden City detectives, with the assistance of Davis Metro SWAT team, arrested 28-year-old Daniel Viegas Gonzalez,” the OCPD statement says.

“He was also booked into the Weber County Jail. The investigation is ongoing. A special thanks to all our law enforcement partners that assisted with this case.”

Shooting timeline

After the shooting, Eric Johnson, Sr., father of Kamron and Eric, Jr., found the men and called police at the home, at 862 W. Lake St., in west Ogden.

“Kamron had been shot multiple times and succumbed to his injuries while Eric was still alive despite being shot multiple times,” Farmer’s probable cause statement says.

“Eric, Jr., was transported to a local hospital and while there named one of the suspects as his one-time friend, Theron Farmer, and the other as a heavier set Hispanic male introduced by Theron.”

“He (Eric, Jr.) advised that the male drew a weapon and fired while Theron showed off a gun in his waistband to Eric, and raided the house looking for property to steal.”

Farmer and a second suspect, mentioned but not named in the statement, were not on scene when police arrived Monday evening. On Tuesday, Ogden City Police detectives got a tip that Farmer was at a Layton apartment building, and a Layton SWAT was able to take him into custody.

“He was taken to the Ogden City Police Department for an interview,” the probable cause statement says. “He was allowed to rest through the night and in the morning of 2/13/19 he was taken to the Weber County Sheriff’s Office Investigations holding cells. He was eventually pulled aside for an interview and was read his rights per Miranda. He waived his rights and opted to speak with me.”

Farmer admitted to being present during the murder of Kamron and attempted murder of Eric, Jr., the statement said.

“He admitted that Kamron was shot and killed during this robbery and that he saw Eric, Jr., shot multiple times. After they left, he admitted to being given two phones that he believed were Kamron’s and Eric, Jr.’s, and throwing them out of the vehicle after they left the scene.

“He (Farmer) stated that they had gone to the home to purchase drugs and that the other male (Gonzalez) shot both Johnsons, and that they looted the house and took Xanax, a small unknown amount of cash, a pair of pants, and a coat.”

Both Farmer and Gonzalez were awaiting trial for other recent offenses.

Gonzalez’ probable cause statement, filed Friday night, said he told Ogden City Police detectives, post-Miranda, that he and Farmer planned to rob the Johnson brothers.

“He admitted to shooting the male in the living room, but tried to say that Theron had shot the male in the back room,” Gonzalez’ probable cause statement says. “He was asked about who had taken the cell phones from the scene and he stated he didn’t know, but based on Eric’s statement, he was the one to take the phones prior to leaving.

“He (Gonzalez) admitted that he drove them to the house at Theron’s request to rob the Johnsons, and that he drove them from the robbery homicide.”

The brothers

A GoFundMe page that says it was set up to benefit the family of the Johnson brothers can be found by clicking here.

“The life of Kamron was senselessly taken, while Eric, Jr., clings to his life after a dispute with another individual armed with a gun,” the page says, in part.

“These young men had their full lives ahead of them. Please do what you can to help the family of these boys. The immeasurable costs for the family due to this tragedy is just a fraction of the hardship they are going through.”