This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
A third suspect has been charged with murder in connection with the shooting death of a clerk at Murray's Lee Mart during a March armed robbery — and the new charges appear to settle who allegedly fired the fatal shots.
Martin Albert Castillo, 19, was charged Thursday in 3rd District Court with first-degree felony counts of murder and aggravated robbery in the March 18 slaying of store clerk 62-year-old David Marsh.
Juan Andres Zalazar, 23, of Taylorsville, and Alexis Alan Garcia, 20, of South Salt Lake, were previously charged with similar counts. But earlier charging documents indicated they were pointing the finger at each other.
A probable cause statement filed with Castillo's charges puts the shooting on Zalazar, who allegedly admitted he fired a gun two to three times as he left the store, but claims he did not know Marsh had been struck and killed until he saw it on a television news report.
Zalazar also admitted to investigators that he and Garcia are members of a gang, and that Castillo wished to join — but had to be initiated, according to the charges.
"Zalazar was to be the driver while Garcia and Castillo were to enter the convenience store with the guns, which Garcia provided," the charges read. "Castillo was to have the only loaded gun because he had to 'prove himself.' "
They drove around for several hours, going to many convenience stores, according to the charges. But "after several failed attempts," Zalazar and Garcia went into Lee Mart while Castillo stayed outside, the charges add.
In previous court documents, investigators indicated that Zalazar and Garcia had made contradictory statements, each accusing the other of being the shooter.
Garcia admitted four day after his April 14 arrest that both he and Zalazar entered the store armed with handguns, but claimed Zalazar fired the fatal shots, according to those charging documents.
However, the same narrative from Murray detectives also noted that Castillo — arrested April 14 in West Palm Beach, Fla. — was waiting in the getaway car when Zalazar and Garcia returned. Castillo, the charging information states, heard Zalazar say that he was hit by a cash register tray thrown by Marsh — but it was Garcia who shot the clerk.
"The following day, Zalazar and Garcia gave Castillo some money and told him to remain quiet," wrote Murray police Detective Chris Brekenfeld in court documents.
Fingerprints recovered from the glass door of the store have been matched to Garcia, charges state.
About 6 a.m. on March 18, two males, their faces concealed by bandanas and hats, entered the store at 5909 S. 700 West and demanded cash from Marsh at gunpoint. The clerk complied, but as the gunmen fled, he threw the cash register tray at one of the men.
One of the two shot Marsh with a .22-caliber revolver. The clerk suffered mortal head and chest wounds.
All three defendants remained in the Salt Lake County Jail on Friday in lieu of $1 million cash-bail each.
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