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SALT LAKE CITY — A man who allegedly ran over another man after he was confronted about abusing his dog has been charged with murder.
Aaron Daniel Hosman, 40, was charged Wednesday in 3rd District Court with murder, a first-degree felony; obstructing justice, a second-degree felony; and cruelty to animals, a class B misdemeanor.
On June 7, Jeremy Hardman, 47, confronted Hosman about the way Hosman had allegedly been treating his dog, claiming he saw Hardman "punching a small dog on the side of the road," according to charging documents. Other witnesses would later tell police they could hear the dog "yelping loudly" and that Hosman "repeatedly" punched the dog with his fist, the charges state.
After being confronted, Hosman got back into his own vehicle, a Lexus IS300 and drove off.
As Hardman and his friend were also about to drive away, Hardman got back out of the car to retrieve something he left at the curb, the charges state. While he did that, Hosman pulled up to Hardman's friend, who was driving, and told him to follow, according to charging documents.
Hosman then went east on 4100 South. When the friend didn't follow, Hosman made a U-turn, drove into oncoming traffic avoiding other cars stopped at the light, and deliberately hit Hardman in a crosswalk at the intersection of 4100 South and 3600 West, killing him, according to prosecutors.
According to one witness, Hosman, "appeared to aim for the man in the crosswalk" and that he "accelerated" when he hit him, the charges state. Hardman was tossed 54-feet upon impact, according to court documents.
Other witnesses said Hosman "did not swerve or attempt to stop prior to or after striking the pedestrian," according to court records.
After information was released to the media, police received several tips about the vehicle. Investigators were able to track Hosman down. They say he had made an attempt to alter the appearance of his car, the charges state.
Court records show Hosman has several prior cases for mostly drug-related and traffic-related charges, such as driving on a revoked license.
