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Suspect in gang-related shooting arrested after SLC police respond to kidnapping call

Posted at 1:18 PM, Aug 24, 2016
and last updated 2016-08-24 18:56:56-04

SALT LAKE CITY — Salt Lake City police arrested the prime suspect in a gang-related shooting after officers responded to a report of an aggravated kidnapping early Wednesday morning.

Fernando Molina, 20, faces felony charges of kidnapping, aggravated assault and transaction of a dangerous weapon by a restricted person.

According to a watch log report from SLCPD, officers responded to a home near 2000 W Gander Ln. around 1:38 a.m. Wednesday after a male juvenile called 911, saying he and another male juvenile had been tied up, beaten and feared they would be killed.

Police said the caller reported he didn't know exactly where he was, but a dispatcher was able to triangulate the address.

The victims later told police they had met at the home over a debt, but the suspects jumped them, tied them up with weed eater wire, pistol whipped them and poured gasoline on them, the watch log report said.

"Our officers showed up and the found two men that were just in the process of escaping this garage and they'd been tied up and beaten up. The residents or people in the home at the time ended up seeing officers, so several tried to escape and leave and officers got those people in custody," said Lt. Dave Cracroft, SLCPD.

Police called a SWAT team to help them apprehend one suspect who was hiding inside the home, Cracroft said.

The victims were taken by ambulance to a local hospital for treatment of their injuries.

According to a probable cause statement, Molina shot an unnamed victim, who needed multiple surgeries and had part of his colon removed.