A 36-year-old who allegedly killed a man in his Taylorsville apartment while attempting to scare the him into paying his debts was arrested Tuesday in southern California.
Palm Springs Police took Shaun Eugene Fleming, 36, into custody at a Motel 6. Officers had received a call about 8:45 a.m. to check on a woman who was staying with Fleming in the motel, according to Palm Springs police.
The caller told police they thought the woman was in danger and that Fleming may be wanted for murder.
Although the man reportedly gave police multiple fake IDs, they eventually identified him as Fleming and arrested him. The woman was uninjured and wasn’t taken into custody.
Fleming faces nine felony charges — including first-degree felony counts of aggravated murder aggravated burglary, aggravated robbery and aggravated kidnapping — in Utah’s Third District Court in connection with the Dec. 10 slaying of 30-year-old Toussaint “TJ” L’Ouverture Tyler Jr.
Fleming, along with another man, reportedly forced their way into Tyler’s apartment, threatened his girlfriend, roommates and his child before fatally shooting Tyler.
Tonita Vianay Rico, 49, who reportedly knocked on the apartment door the day of the killing before retreating to wait in the getaway car as the two men went inside, is also accused in the alleged intimidation scheme.
Rico, also known as Tonita Espinoza, was charged with a first-degree felony count each of murder, aggravated burglary, aggravated robbery. She was arrested Dec. 12 and booked into the Salt Lake County jail.
Rico told police Tyler owed Fleming money, and that Fleming had told her to knock on Tyler’s apartment door.
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