MILLCREEK, March 31, 2020 (Gephardt Daily) — Suspect Derek Algernon Little has been booked into the Salt Lake County Jail Tuesday after a shooting death Monday in Millcreek.
Little was booked in connection with the death of 32-year-old Tevita Laloni. Little, 35, is charged on suspicion of:
- Murder, a first-degree felony
- Obstruction of justice, a second-degree felony
- Two counts of possession of a dangerous weapon by a restricted person, a third-degree felony
- Use or possession of drug paraphernalia, a class B misdemeanor
Little’s bail is set at $100,000.
Laloni was found shot and critically injured on a sidewalk near near 229 E. Hill Ave.
“Unified Police Officers responded on a shooting that had just occurred. Officers arrived and found a shot male that later died at the hospital from a gunshot wound,” Little’s probable cause statement says.
“There was no gun found on scene. Officers were able to obtain video showing the subject, Derek Little, pulling the deceased male out of his apartment.”
After obtaining a warrant, detectives entered the apartment and found drug paraphernalia that tested positive for methamphetamine, the statement says. Officers also found a rifle, a shotgun, a loaded 9mm magazine, a spent 9mm cartridge, and hundreds of unfired
rounds.
“On the video obtained, it shows Little leaving the scene of the shooting prior to police arriving. Police were able to find Little and bring him in for interview. Little told detectives that he was alone in the bedroom of the apartment with the deceased male. The deceased male had a loaded 9mm handgun, removed the magazine from it, was trying to take the slide off the gun, and then handed the gun to Little.
“Little stated that as he took the gun from the decedent, when he handed it to him, the gun went off and the decedent got shot. Little stated that he took the decedent outside in an attempt to get him help. Little stated that he did not want his son to see both parents get arrested, so he left the scene and took his son to a friend’s house.”
Police were unable to find Little for 12 hours after the incident, the probable cause statement says. He was located after a tip revealed his location.
“Little stated that he did not know where the gun was taken, nor the identity of a third male that was on scene and is believed to have taken the gun,” Little’s probable cause statement says
Little is a convicted felon and restricted from possessing, using, or handling firearms, the statement notes.
Arrested Monday in the case was 27-year-old Tryana Lynn Scaramella, who called police to the scene saying she had found the body outside her apartment when she went outside.
“She stated that she did not know him, did not know who shot him, and that he had just collapsed outside,” Scaramella’s probable cause statement says.
A video obtained by police showed Scaramella “was present while the deceased male was removed from her apartment and placed on the ground. The video shows two other males present that Scaramella later confirmed were there and that one of the males, that lives in the apartment with Scaramella, was alone with the deceased male at the time he was shot.”
“Scaramella later admitted to detectives that the deceased male was in her apartment, that she had been a part of the moving of the body, and that she had the other male that she lives with leave the scene, providing the keys for the vehicle he used and told him to leave the scene.”
Scaramella is charged with obstruction of justice, a second-degree felony. Her bail was set at $10,000.
