SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, May 17, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — An 18-year-old man has been booked into jail after he allegedly broke into a stranger’s residence Wednesday morning and pulled a gun.
A probable cause statement filed in the arrest of Jose Garcia says he was arrested at 6:21 a.m.
“The AP (arrested party) walked into the victim’s kitchen with a loaded concealed firearm from the basement, stating he had been in the basement for an hour,” says Garcia’s charging document, filed by an officer of the Salt Lake City Police Department.
“The AP upon contact with the resident pulled the firearm from an in-the-waistband holster. AP stated he entered the residence house through a basement window located on the northeast side of the house; the window leads into the victim’s juvenile daughter’s room.”
Garcia reportedly told the victim that “he had been scouting houses for Florencia’s gang for future gang initiations.”
When Garcia was asked by officers to identify himself, he refused.
“Officers obtained identification from his wallet,” the statement says. “The victim does not know the AP. The AP should not have been in the residence.”
Garcia was charged on suspicion of:
- Aggravated burglary, a first-degree felony
- Using concealed weapon in commission of a violent felony, a second-degree felony
- Failure to disclose identity, a class B misdemeanor
Garcia was booked into the Salt Lake County jail and ordered to be held without bail.
