HOLLADAY, Utah — Two people have been arrested, including one juvenile, in connection to the shooting of a man found dead at the Mt. Olympus trailhead earlier this month.
Mateo Martinez, 20, and a 15-year-old boy were taken into custody after an investigation into the Aug. 3 shooting.
Eighteen-year-old Naod Welday was found dead from multiple gunshot wounds at the trailhead in Holladay. Officers had responded to the scene before sunrise after receiving reports of gunfire in the area.
Both Martinez and the boy are documented gang members, according to the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office, which added that Welday and other victims were not connected to gang activity.
"We do not believe they are gang involved at all," said Salt Lake County Sheriff Rosie Rivera. "They were just probably in the wrong place at the wrong time, and it was just very unfortunate and very tragic in this situation.."
Arrest documents said Welday was with two friends in the parking lot of the trailhead when there was an altercation between them and a separate group of four people. The other group forced their way into Welday's locked car before he was shot multiple times.
One of Welday's friends was assaulted with a hammer and sustained a head wound, while the other friend was injured after being struck by another member of the other group,
Using evidence collected at the scene, including a baseball hat left outside Welday's car door, detectives were able to identify Martinez, who was wearing the same hat in a video recorded five days before the murder. Detectives said electronic data also placed Martinez at the trailhead at the time of the deadly shooting.
A recording of a 911 call made by Welday during the incident features loud banging heard on the vehicle windows and what police said were 3-4 gunshots. After the gunfire, nothing more was heard on the 911 recording, the documents said.
"I heard gunshots and police running in my yard at 4 a.m. after this happened," shared Erik Kerr, who lives across the street from the parking lot.
Kerr added that he has seen an increase in gang activity and younger people gathering in the parking lot until early in the morning.
Martinez and the unidentified juvenile face homicide charges.
"This tragic event serves as a stark reminder of the devastating impact of gang violence. We are committed to ensuring that those responsible for this senseless act are brought to justice. I want to commend the dedicated efforts of our deputies and detectives for their tireless work in leading to these arrests," said Rivera.
