Four Men Arrested After Shooting Girls in Truck They Thought Were Stalking Them.
The incident occurred when four men reportedly pursued a group of teenagers for several miles in Utah, ultimately pulling alongside their vehicle and discharging firearms into it.
A 17-year-old girl lost her life following this alarming chase, which culminated in a drive-by shooting. On Saturday, authorities apprehended and charged four men in connection with her death. Iron County Sheriff's deputies responded to the scene on the evening of January 17 after receiving reports of gunfire directed at the teenagers' red truck and an injured individual, as reported by ABC affiliate KUTV.
Upon their arrival, the girl was still alive, and emergency personnel initiated life-saving measures; however, she succumbed to her injuries shortly after being taken to the hospital. The police investigation revealed that the teenage driver had been pursued by an unidentified vehicle for approximately five miles before that vehicle aligned with hers and opened fire, hitting the teenager. The impact caused her to lose control of the vehicle, which subsequently crashed through a vinyl fence and came to a halt near an intersection. Another 17-year-old girl was present in the vehicle during the shooting but sustained no serious injuries.
On January 19, Fox affiliate KSTU disclosed the identities of the four men believed to be involved in the shooting. Booking documents from the Iron County Sheriff's Office identified the suspects as Michael Hess-Witucki, 23, Ethan Galloway, 23, Aldric Felipe, 21, and Matthew Sorber-Petrie, 22.
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According to the available documents, Hess-Witucki is identified as the suspected driver during the incident, while Gallow is thought to be the individual who discharged the firearm. Law enforcement officials have indicated that the weapon utilized in the shooting was owned by Sorber-Petrie, and they suspect that both he and Felipe were aware that the alleged driver and shooter intended to use it for criminal purposes.
All four individuals were apprehended on Saturday and face charges related to the shooting. Hess-Witucki and Galloway have each been charged with one count of murder and twelve counts of felony discharge of a firearm, corresponding to the twelve shots that were fired.
Felipe and Sorber-Petrie are facing charges of obstruction of justice. Authorities reported that they were able to trace the pursuit after the surviving victim provided a description of the suspects' vehicle and the location of their initial encounter. This information allowed investigators to locate witnesses who could identify the vehicle, described as a darker-colored SUV, which ultimately led them to the suspects at an apartment complex. Upon the police's arrival at the complex, Hess-Witucki, Galloway, and Sorber-Petrie attempted to escape but were swiftly apprehended, as reported by CrimeOnline.
In the end, both Hess-Witucki and Gallow admitted to their alleged involvement in the shooting during a post-Miranda interview with law enforcement. The suspects claimed that they believed the girls were following them after noticing their truck in the neighborhood. However, investigators clarified that the victim and her passenger were present in the area for entirely different reasons.
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"These two young ladies ... were just out kind of joyriding around the valley," said Iron County Sheriff Ken Carpenter. "This was a needless death, and I think that it's hard on everybody. It's completely senseless for this to have taken place ... and that makes it hard. When you look at two 17-year-old girls that were just enjoying life and having a good time and that life is cut short."
