(Kim Raff | The Salt Lake Tribune) Police investigate a shooting at a home at 2363 South Redwood Road in West Valley City on Monday, March 11, 2013.

West Valley City police arrest suspect in fatal shooting

Crime » Suspect and victim were roommates, police say.

By Jim Dalrymple II

and Kimball Bennion

| The Salt Lake Tribune

First Published Mar 11 2013 08:29 am • Last Updated Mar 12 2013 08:02 am

West Valley City • Police have arrested a 60-year-old man in connection with an apparent homicide that occurred late Sunday night in a Redwood Road home.

Roberto Tolajo Romero was booked into the Salt Lake County jail on suspicion of murder and obstructing justice, West Valley police announced Monday afternoon.

Romero allegedly admitted he shot the victim — a Latino male in his 40s who was his roommate — after an argument at a home at 2363 S. Redwood Road, said Sgt. Jason Hauer .

A probable cause statement released by the Salt Lake County jail states that Romero and the man shared a room at the house. Witnesses allegedly told investigators that they could hear the two arguing moments before hearing multiple shots being fired. Roman then fled the residence, according to the statement.

Romero was arrested somewhere in the Salt Lake Valley, although police would not specify exactly where the arrest took place.

Romero allegedly hid the gun used in the shooting in a nearby trash can just before he was arrested, but it was recovered after a witness reported seeing Romero hide the weapon.

Hauer said officers responding to reports of "suspicious circumstances" with "possible shots fired" were dispatched to the home at about 11:40 p.m. Sunday. The victim was dead, apparently from multiple gunshot wounds, when police arrived. Hauer said the Romero and the victim may have lived together in the past.

Hauer said that by Monday morning police had identified the victim, but were waiting to release his name until they could contact his family.

According to Hauer, the home is divided up and rented to as many as 10 people.

Rick Deans, manager of nearby Premiere Satellite Systems, said the area has seen car burglaries in the past but he never noticed anything suspicious about the home where the shooting took place.

jdalrymple@sltrib.com

kbennion@sltrib.com

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