SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Jan. 7, 2025 (Gephardt Daily) — Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill announced an attempted murder charge filed against Javier Rafael Pedregon-Magana for his alleged involvement in the stabbing of a relative on Christmas day, reportedly as part of a planned “hit” for suspected “snitching.”
On Dec. 25, 2024, “a witness saw the victim … get out of a black car on I-15,” says a news release issued by the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office.
“The driver of the black vehicle started to accelerate towards (the victim), but the victim was able to get away by jumping over a concrete barrier. The driver of the black car then drove away. When law enforcement arrived, they noted that (the victim) was disoriented, had multiple lacerations, was bleeding heavily, and was having trouble remaining conscious; he was taken to IMC hospital.”
Arrest documents for Pedregon-Magana say the victim had been stabbed seven times. The documents also describe Pedregon-Magana as a known gang member.
“A family member told police that the victim and the defendant had been celebrating Christmas together when they left to go home,” the news release says. “At around 10:35 p.m., that same family member got a call from (the victim) saying he had been stabbed by the defendant, who the victim said then took his car.”
The next day, Utah Highway Patrol troopers were able to take Pedregon-Magana into custody.
“Post-Miranda, the defendant told law enforcement that (the victim) was suspected of ‘snitching’ and there was a hit out on him. The defendant told police he had been asked to kill (the victim) for $25,000 and to clear the defendant’s name; the defendant said there were hit orders on himself as well.”
Pedregon-Magana told investigators another person had been in the trunk of the car when he and the victim got into the car. He said while they were driving the other person had lowered the seat from the trunk into the main part of the car and attacked the victim. Pedregon-Magana said when the victim got out of the car, the other person told him to hit the victim with the car, the news release says.
Pedregon-Magana was charged Monday with:
- Attempted murder, a first degree felony
- Failure to respond to an officer’s signal to stop, a third-degree felony
“We appreciate the witness who saw the survivor of this violent crime on the side of the road and reported it to law enforcement to ensure that justice could be served. It is not only the obligation of law enforcement to help stop crime, but it is also the responsibility of everyone in our community,” Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill said in the news release, adding that all persons accused of wrongdoing are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
