Two men accused of using an AK-47 to shoot and kill a 16-year-old boy who had been egging cars are now facing murder charges. Fortunato Nato Villagrana, 22, and Martin Antonio Cruz, 22, have been charged in 3rd district court with murder, a first-degree felony; discharge of a firearm causing serious injury, a first degree felony; and two counts of discharge of a firearm, a third-degree felony. A $1million arrest warrant was issued for Villagrana who remains on the run. The charges follow what police describe a major breakthrough in the investigation, when police arrested Cruz on Friday. Cruz remains in the Salt Lake County Jail on $1 million bond.
The incident the pair are charged with occurred on July 5, 2016, when Paris Gustin was inside a Honda Civic with two other teenagers who were driving around and "egging" both people and vehicles in the Fairpark neighborhood. According to charging documents Gustin threw an egg through the open window of a Nissan, which struck the driver, Villagrana, in the ear. This led to Villagrana driving home to retrieve his AK-47 and went to go look for the boys. Cruz then drove the vehicle while Villagrana sat in the passenger seat. Shortly thereafter they found the Civic and gave chase. During the encounter Villagrana leaned out the front passenger window and fired several shots from an extremely short distance away, striking Gustin in the head and back. Gustin later died as a result of the injuries.
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