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Farmington • Before being sentenced for his guilty plea to robbery and murder in Second District Court on Wednesday, Anthony Santos Cruz turned to face the father of his victim.

"Mr. Jeppson, I can't even express in words how much sorrow I feel," Cruz said. "I'm so very sorry. ... All I can do is to try and better my life at this point so that no one has to suffer like you have."

Cruz was sentenced to serve 15 years to life in prison for the first-degree felony murder. He received one to 15 years in prison for the second-degree felony robbery. Judge David Hamilton ordered he serve the sentences concurrently.

Cruz, 27, of Fruit Heights, pleaded guilty to the charges following a series of carjackings in an attempt to flee from police on Feb. 1 that ended in a fatal crash, killing 21-year-old Jazmyn Jeppson.

Defense attorney Todd Utzinger called Cruz "one of my more remarkable clients," noting his willingness to take responsibility for his actions, pleading guilty to murder instead of trying to get a lesser charge .

"He stepped up to the plate and said he didn't want to put the family through that," Utzinger said.

Utzinger continued that Cruz showed respect to the family and his victims, and despite his future appearing dim, "I know he's going to make the best of it."

Cruz told the judge that he was "very embarrassed" about what happened in February. Cruz said even though his judgment was clouded by drugs at the time, he still could have taken some time to think and make better choices.

These were "tragic circumstances that could've and should've been avoided," Utzinger said.

Jeppson's family members chose not to speak in court Wednesday, instead referencing a victim impact statement previously submitted to the court.

As part of a plea deal, prosecutors did not ask Hamilton for consecutive prison terms, and instead focused brief comments on monetary restitution.

In his closing statements, Hamilton described Jeppson as a young woman who was just getting started in life, and her "precious life was lost."

He noted the void left in Jeppson's family because of her death and another void, which now exists in Cruz' family due to his incarceration.

The events leading up to Jeppson's Feb. 1 death began about 4:30 p.m. when a woman called 911 and reported that her car had been stolen by a man and a woman, later identified as Cruz and 23-year-old Michelle Jenny Vigil, who according to evidence presented at a June 22 hearing acted as "bait" by running up to the woman's vehicle and claiming Cruz was attacking her.

"They pulled a knife on me and told me to get out of my car," the woman told a dispatcher, according to testimony at a March preliminary hearing.

Cruz and Vigil drove away in the woman's car, but it broke down a few minutes later on the freeway in Centerville, according to court records. Cruz allegedly attempted to steal a second car, but that carjacking failed.

Minutes later, a Unified Police officer on his way to work drove up to the apparently stalled sedan, which was stopped on southbound Interstate 15 near Lund Lane. The officer was initially unaware that the car was stolen.

Cruz and Vigil told the officer they had run out of gas, but he found out the car was stolen after contacting dispatchers.

Vigil allegedly tried to flee on foot as Cruz ran to another car nearby. After the driver jumped out, Cruz sped away southbound.

Moments later, the fatal crash occurred when Cruz took the Parrish Lane exit, went through the intersection of the offramp and Parrish Lane and struck Jeppson's car, which was traveling east, according to police.

Vigil has pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree felony robbery and is scheduled for sentencing on Aug. 17.

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