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PAYSON — Criminal charges were filed Monday against five Payson men in connection with a drive-by shooting last week.
The incident began just after midnight on March 11 when a man was "jumped" in the parking lot of a fitness center in Spanish Fork. The victims then followed five people who left the scene in a Chevrolet and drove into Payson, according to a police booking affidavit.
"As they did so, someone in the Chevrolet fired gunshots at (the victim's) vehicle. Residential surveillance video in the area recorded eight rapid gunshots, then two gunshots. (The victim's) vehicle had two holes in the passenger side rear quarter panel and a bullet hole in the rear passenger tire. A bullet fragment was later found lodged near the rear seat belt mechanism," according to charging documents. "The next day, a Payson resident called police to report three bullet holes in his residence."
No injuries were reported.
After the shots were fired, the suspected gunmen were spotted a short time later by police and were arrested. In addition to a gun and "loose rounds," officers also found 11 THC vapes in unopened packaging in the vehicle.
Brayan Acuna, 21; Erick Jovanny Angeles Loeza, 18; Damian Romero Cristobal, 18; Juan Artemio Gomez Castellon, 20; and Saul Gomez-Alatorre, 18, all from Payson, were each charged Monday in 4th District Court with six counts of illegal discharge of a firearm, possession of a gun by a restricted person and property damage, second-degree felonies; property damage, a third-degree felony; plus drug possession and possession of drug paraphernalia, class B misdemeanors. The shooting and gun charges all come with gang-related penalty enhancements if convicted.
