DRAPER, Utah, April 7, 2022 (Gephardt Daily) — Police officials have taken two teens into custody who are believed to be the only persons of interest in a double-fatal shooting on Sunday, April 3 after a party at an Airbnb rental property.
The suspects in custody are Ashtyn Ortega, 18, of Lehi, and another teen, 17 at the time of the incident, who was located in Herriman. The name of the second teen is being withheld due to his juvenile status at the time of the crime. Both suspects were taken into custody at about 1:30 p.m. Thursday.
The initial charge will be aggravated murder, a first-degree felony, Draper City Police Chief John Eining told reporters Thursday. Final charges will be determined by the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s office, he said.
Eining declined to say which suspect was believed to be the shooter, citing the need to protect details of the ongoing investigation.
As a result of the shots fired, one victim died at the scene, and another died the next day at a local hospital. The shooting victims were identified by police as Terry Austin Powell, 27, and Johnathan July Fuentes, 21.
Eining said the shots were fired as the party was ending, and one of the victims complained that an angry guest was throwing glass bottles in the roadway.
“I think the motive or the incident started just because of the disagreement as the party was breaking up,” Eining said. “We think that it really was just about a disagreement specifically to do with the bottles being thrown in the road.”
It appears the man who complained about the behavior was targeted and shot, and the second man was shot, possibly by accident, because of where he was located. Eining said which victim was the target is another detail he will not share at this time.
Eining said one victim is at or headed for juvenile detention, and the other will be booked into the Salt Lake City Jail. The adult victim’s record will be sealed at least initially, to protect details for the investigation, Eining said.
Eining said he wanted to acknowledge “the assistance received from a variety of law enforcement agencies in the Salt Lake Valley,” he said. “On the night of the shooting, officers from other departments assisted officers with a variety of assignments.
“I specifically want to thank the State Crime Lab for their many hours of work and expertise they provided, and the US Marshals for their assistance with the apprehension of our suspects. Most importantly, I want to thank the men and women of the Draper Police Department for their tireless efforts and progressive investigation to this point.”
Eining also said the Airbnb has been delisted. Airbnb policy does not allow parties at the rental locations, and Airbnb issued a statement saying it would do all it could to assist with Draper officials’ investigation.
