A trial was ordered Tuesday for three Utahns charged in connection with the murder of a man who was house-sitting at a Millcreek-area apartment last year.
Richard Lawrence, Trujillo, 27, Alisha Hope Moore, 29, and Francisco Ricky Garcia, 34, were ordered to stand trial on charges of first-degree felony murder and aggravated robbery in the death of 32-year-old Gildardo Toledo, according to prosecutors.
Trujillo, who is suspected of shooting Toledo, is also charged with obstructing justice, and purchase, transfer, possession or use of a firearm by a restricted person, which are both second-degree felonies.
A fourth person, 25-year-old Sarah Marlen Ortiz, is also facing charges of murder and aggravated robbery, along with obstructing justice. But her case has been separated from the three other defendants, according to Deputy Salt Lake District Attorney Anna Rossi, who declined to comment further about why Ortiz's case was not heard Tuesday with the others.
The four defendants are accused of hatching a plan to rob Toledo, which turned deadly.
Third District Judge Royal Hansen ordered the trial bindover after hearing testimony on two separate dates about Toledo's May 2015 homicide.
Tuesday's hearing centered around how the police interviewed the defendants, and also included testimony from a Utah inmate who detailed a conversation he had while incarcerated with Trujillo, in which Trujillo allegedly confessed to shooting a rival gang member.
"He said he killed an ex-Sureno," the inmate testified. "He said he went in to rob somebody and it went bad."
In late May, Toledo was staying at the apartment of a woman with whom he'd had a child, while she and the child were out of town, according to police authorities.
After his family had not heard from him in several days, one of the woman's relatives went to the apartment, located at 875 W. Meadowbrook Expressway, on May 29 and found Toledo's body inside.
Neighbors said that a sliding glass door at the back of the apartment had been open for four days, and several people reported hearing gunshots at about 4 a.m. May 25, according to charges.
Toledo's cell phone showed multiple calls and texts with Ortiz during the early morning of May 25, with the last call coming at 3:55 a.m., according to the charges.
Detectives found more messages that were sent from Toledo's phone, but Moore had allegedly sent those, the charges add. Moore told the police that she was with Toledo and had used his phone to talk to her friends.
Moore later left the apartment, and Garcia told the police that he and Ortiz were at a hotel when Moore arrived and said she wanted to rob Toledo, according to the charges. Someone called Trujillo and they all allegedly made a plan to have Moore return to the apartment first, then for Ortiz to arrive and open the back door, the charges add.
Moore allegedly went back to the apartment, and Ortiz followed. A few minutes later, Trujillo and Garcia allegedly came rushing through the back door.
"Trujillo pulled out a .45-caliber handgun and racked a round in the chamber," the charges read. "Trujillo pointed the gun at Mr. Toledo, who attempted to grab the gun and began to fight with Trujillo."
At some point, Garcia allegedly grabbed a glass bottle and threw it at Toledo, and Trujillo shot Toledo.
Moore, Ortiz, Trujillo and Garcia then allegedly fled the apartment in a vehicle.
"Garcia went on to say that while in the vehicle, Ortiz removed the SIM card from her phone and broke it," the charges read, adding that "Trujillo and Ortiz hid the gun in some bushes. The next day, Trujillo retrieved the gun and sold it."
Police found a .45-caliber bullet and empty shell at the crime scene. They also found a broken glass bottle near Toledo's body.
jmiller@sltrib.com
Courtesy | Salt Lake County Sheriff Alisha Hope Moore
Courtesy | Salt Lake County Sheriff Sarah Marlen Ortiz
Courtesy | Salt Lake County Sheriff Richard Lawrence Trujillo
