KEARNS, Utah, Sept. 28, 2018 (Gephardt Daily) — Police in West Valley City have arrested the prime suspect in Wednesday night’s murder of 26-year-old Victor Manuel Garcia Jr.
According to a police statement posted on social media, Robert DeHerrera, 24, was taken into custody late Thursday night, after being identified as the man who shot and killed Garcia 24 hours earlier while the two struggled inside a car near 3030 W. 3500 South about 9:10 p.m.
Police arrested DeHerrera on Thursday night near 6200 S. 3200 West about 11 p.m. after he was seen leaving a home in Kearns where he’d been tracked to earlier in the day.
Members of the Street Crimes Unit, including officers from Taylorsville, Midvale, ATF, and members of the Metro Gang Unit, helped carry out the traffic stop where DeHerrera’s father was also taken into custody.
Police returned to the home where DeHerrera had been hiding and arrested eight adults and a juvenile who were taken in for questioning.
West Valley City investigators said they had been on DeHerrera’s trail since he mortally wounded Garcia on Wednesday night when the two began fighting inside a moving vehicle.
“During some sort of altercation in the car, the shooter was hit with a bottle, ” said West Valley City Police Lt. Steve Burke. “He produced a handgun and fired at least one round, shooting the victim in the abdomen.”
When police arrived, they found Garcia hanging from the window of a silver sedan, Burke said. He was unconscious and not breathing.
“Officers started CPR on him. The paramedics arrived shortly thereafter, hurried and loaded him, took him off to Jordan Valley West Hospital. About five minutes after that, we were advised he passed away.”
WVCPD spokeswoman Roxeanne Vainuku told Gephardt Daily a search for the suspect also led to an overnight car chase.
At about 2 a.m. Thursday, officers located the vehicle of a known associate of the suspect. The vehicle fled, and police pursued it for about eight minutes, until it hit a curb at 7350 S. State and blew out some or all of its tires.
A male and female were taken into custody, but a second man, believed to be DeHerrera, ran from the scene.
Investigators have not yet determined if those in custody had any connection to the Wednesday night shooting.
Gephardt Daily is following the story and will provide an update as more information becomes available.
