Investigators have identified and are searching for a person of interest after an 82-year-old man was fatally shot early Monday in West Valley City.
According to West Valley City police, callers on Monday reported gunshots at about 7:10 a.m in the area of 3800 South 4200 West. Arriving officers found the victim, Farrell Bartschi, unresponsive on the ground. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators later determined that Kearns resident Noel Munoz Lopez, 34, was in the area at the time of the shooting and has an association with the owners of the home in front of where the shooting occurred, according to a news release. He is considered a person of interest in the case.
Bartschi lived in the area but has “no known association” with Lopez, nor any known association with the homeowners whom Lopez has an association with, police said. It remains unknown what led up to the shooting.
Investigators continue to search for Lopez. He is described as 5 feet, 9 inches tall and weighs about 210 pounds. Police said he is bald with a black beard and mustache.
Anyone with information on Lopez’s whereabouts may contact the West Valley City Police Department at 801-840-4000. Police said tips can be made anonymously.