This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated.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 Riverdale man has been charged with murder following his weekend arrest in the shooting death of a 25-year-old man during a purported drug-related robbery attempt.
Second District Court records show that Luciano Gabriel Silva, 20, was charged Monday with first-degree felony homicide and two second-degree felony counts of obstruction of justice. He remained in the Weber County jail, where he was being held without bail.
Riverdale police say Silva was arrested just hours after the 5 a.m. Sunday discovery of Horacio Mendez Sanchez's body on the trail. Sanchez, also of Riverdale, had been shot in the head, and officers found a .380-caliber shell casing nearby, according to a probable cause statement.
Subsequent investigation led police to Luciano's residence, where police spotted and approached him. Luciano agreed to accompany officers to the Riverdale Police Department headquarters, where he allegedly waived his rights and agreed to be questioned.
Luciano purportedly told investigators that he was acquainted with the victim, who was allegedly connected to the local drug trade, and that the two were walking on the trail to make a deal when Sanchez asked to see Silva's pistol. However, as soon as he handed Sanchez the gun, Silva claimed Sanchez tried to rob him.
A struggle ensued, according to the probable cause statement, during which Silva shot Sanchez from 3-4 feet away. Silva told police that he then threw the gun in the river and ran home.
Police declined Monday to confirm if they had recovered the weapon, though the probable cause statement did note that Silva had led them to the spot at the river where he said he had tossed the gun.
Silva was make his first appearance before Judge Ernie Jones on Tuesday.
Twitter: @remims