A Taylorsville man has been charged with homicide after another man reportedly challenged him to shoot him, and he did.
Lehi Alexander Morantes, 26, was charged in 3rd District Court with murder, a first-degree felony, in the death of Joey Michael Duran, 30. Morantes is also charged with obstruction of justice and possession of a weapon by a restricted person, second-degree felonies; and four counts of discharge of a weapon, third-degree felonies.
The 21-year-old sister of Morantes’ girlfriend has been charged with obstruction of justice in the case.
According to the charges, witnesses said that on June 5, Duran and several other people went to an apartment complex at 4545 Atherton Drive in Taylorsville to confront the sister about a car accident nine days earlier that killed Miguel “Nolo” Marquez. The sister was a passenger in the car, police said; Duran left Marquez’s funeral to confront her.
Morantes’ girlfriend told police that Morantes, who was standing on a second-floor walkway, got into an argument with Duran, who was on the sidewalk below. The girlfriend said she saw a man standing near Duran holding a gun, and that Morantes pulled out his own gun. She “saw [Duran] take off his shirt and yell at Morantes, then [challenge] Morantes to shoot him,” according to the charges. “Morantes pointed the gun at Joey and fired five times.”
The unidentified man standing near Duran returned fire, the girlfriend told police. No one was struck, but police found bullet holes in second- and third-floor apartments.
When officers arrived, they found Duran lying on the sidewalk with a bullet wound to his chest. He was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
After the shooting, Morantes and his girlfriend left Utah for California, according to police. They were arrested when they returned about two weeks later. The girlfriend was booked into the Salt Lake County jail for investigation of obstruction of justice and later released. As of Friday, she has not been charged.
Police found the girlfriend’s sister in the apartment. She said she was hiding inside during the shooting, but, according to the charges, her statements were “inconsistent and contrary to other witness statements.” After a warrant was obtained for her cellphone, they found texts she sent friends indicating she was outside when Duran was shot.
Both the sister and Morantes are being held without bail in the Salt Lake County jail.
