MAGNA, Utah, June 17, 2021 (Gephardt Daily) — Unified Police have made an additional arrest in the murder of a Magna man who was beaten to death by a group of people Monday.
“We need your help in locating a wanted person,” said a Facebook post Wednesday afternoon from Unified Police Department. “Easton Jorge Esparsa is wanted in connection with the murder of Fred Valdamar Ortiz, 41, in Magna.”
On Thursday, UPD tweeted that Esparsa has been arrested. A probable cause statement for Esparsa has not yet been released.
Two other suspects, Xandre Sky Daniel Hill, who turned 18 this month, and Osyeanna Marie Martinez, 19, each face one count of murder, a first-degree felony, in the death of Ortiz.
Other suspects are said to be juveniles, whose names and court records will not be released due to their ages.
Nearly identical probable cause statements filed in the case of Hill and Martinez say Unified Police officers responded to a call Monday afternoon of a fight in progress at 3600 S. 8000 West, Magna.
Officers found Ortiz unconscious and not breathing, the police statement says. He was given CPR, and transported to Intermountain Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead shortly after arrival.
Several people were transported to the sheriff’s department for questioning, the probable cause statement says. The group, including Hill, Martinez, a 13-year-old and several other whose ages were not given, and who were identified only by initials.
One female identified by initials said she arrived at Ortiz’s residence to talk with his female partner about purchasing a puppy, the statement says.
The witness told officers she and Hill were told that Ortiz had beaten his female partner, who was pregnant, two days earlier. The woman had a black eye, the UPD officer’s statements say.
Martinez and several of the unnamed suspects began to pursue Ortiz when he passed by on a non-motorized scooter.
Ortiz fled to a second location, where his pursuers reportedly struck him with a pole, pieces of wood and a car. The attack was caught on a nearby restaurant’s surveillance video, the UPD statements say.
On the video, police say Martinez can be seen throwing two boards at Ortiz’s back and head, the statement says. She then “grabs him and was punching and kicking him.”
The video also shows Hill and a third person beating Ortiz, the statement says. Both Hill and Martinez were still wearing the same clothing seen on the video, police said.
Martinez’s probable cause statement says she admitted chasing Ortiz down and grabbing him, and to hitting him with wood. She denied hitting him with a vehicle.
Gephardt Daily will have more on this developing story as information is made available.
