Two suspects in custody for fatal shooting at SLC apartment complex
Jun 9, 2022, 2:35 PM | Updated: Jun 12, 2022, 10:54 am
SLC authorities responded to a fatal shooting at the Seasons at Pebble Creek Apartments. (SLCPD)
(SLCPD)
SALT LAKE CITY – A man and woman are in police custody in connection to the fatal shooting and robbery at the Seasons at Pebble Creek Apartments, according to Salt Lake City police.
According to a press release, 18-year-old Erik Virgen and 20-year-old Malibu Mawson were arrested in Enoch, Utah, Wednesday night.
Salt Lake City police contacted Enoch police as they believed the two fled to southern Utah after the shooting on Tuesday. Enoch police located both suspects and took them into custody without issue.
Salt Lake City authorities picked them up and booked them into the Salt Lake County Jail for causing serious bodily injury in an aggravated robbery and aggravated burglary.
Overnight, detectives with the Salt Lake City Police Department’s Homicide Squad arrested two people wanted as part of an ongoing murder investigation.
Press Release: https://t.co/wB8DUK2clw #SLC #SaltLakeCity #SLCPD pic.twitter.com/gSWbcJNjeZ
— Salt Lake City Police (@slcpd) June 9, 2022
According to court documents, Virgen and Mawson planned to rob and assault the two residents at the Pebble Creek Apartments on Tuesday night. An unidentified male and the 19-year-old Anthony Wheatley, who was killed, were also a part of this plan.
Both suspects knew one of the residents, with Virgen having several altercations with the first resident and Mawson being the resident’s former girlfriend when all three lived at a group home.
The unidentified male told police in an interview, that they planned to have Mawson fake a romantic relationship with the second resident so she could let them into the apartment.
Update: The man killed in this shooting is identified as 19-year-old Anthony Wheatley. Our investigation remains ongoing. No other details can be released at this time. #slc #slcpd #saltlakecity pic.twitter.com/lq8BZ9raT5
— Salt Lake City Police (@slcpd) June 8, 2022
Mawson contacted the second resident over Facebook, and he invited her to his apartment. She visited the apartment with only the second resident inside and unlocked the door for Wheatley, Virgen, and the unidentified male to enter.
Virgen and Wheatley confronted the second resident, pointed guns at him, and assaulted him. The unidentified male told police that Wheatley instructed him to look for items to steal while they carried on the assault.
While searching the apartment, the first resident and his friend returned to the apartment and found Wheatley and Virgen beating up the second resident. A fight broke out between the two residents and Wheatley and Virgen while the friend ran away.
According to documents, Virgen pointed their gun at the first resident, causing him to run toward Virgen.
Virgen shot at him and hit him in the chest, but the first resident was able to grapple with him and take his gun. The second resident joined the struggle and found himself with the second gun.
Both residents shot Wheatley until “they felt safe.” Virgen ran from the scene with Mawson.
The unidentified male overheard the fight and tried to run away but “felt a pain in his back and chest.” The documents do not note that the residents shot the unidentified male.
When police arrived, they found Wheatley dead with multiple gunshot wounds. The first resident and the unidentified male had non-life-threatening gunshot wounds.
The second resident only had lacerations and contusions. All three of them were transported to the hospital where they were treated for their injuries.
Police also found the two guns allegedly used by Wheatley and Virgen. No documents have been released charging the unidentified man with any crime, and police have not released his name.
In a police post-Miranda interview, Mawson admitted to staging the robbery with Wheatley after they saw a Facebook post with the second resident having marijuana.
