On a summer night in Magna, Utah, a house party filled with teenagers and young adults turned into a scene of chaos and violence. Inside the home at 3623 S. Evening Light Cove, on August 15, 2021, 19-year-old Hispanic male Juan Valentine Rodriguez was shot and killed. The tragic event also claimed the life of 18-year-old Ivan Valenzuela and left a 17-year-old girl wounded.
When Unified Police arrived around 1:10 a.m., they found a large crowd of people fleeing the area and discovered Rodriguez already deceased inside the residence from a gunshot to the face. Valenzuela was rushed to a hospital but succumbed to his injuries shortly after.
The investigation into the double homicide led authorities to 19-year-old Patrocinio Perez, a documented gang member from Salt Lake City. Investigators found that Perez had been telling others he was responsible for the shooting. This was corroborated by social media records, including an Instagram message where Perez admitted to a friend that he was the shooter. Further evidence from Snapchat and Uber data confirmed his presence near the house party before and after the killings.
When questioned by police, Perez confessed to the crime. He stated that he went to the party with the intention of confronting Rodriguez and Valenzuela because he believed they were "talking negative about his homies." Perez admitted to shooting Rodriguez first, and then Valenzuela, before leaving the scene.
In March 2022, Patrocinio Perez was charged with two counts of aggravated murder, discharge of a firearm causing serious injury, possession of a weapon by a restricted person, and obstructing justice. At the time the charges were filed, he was already in custody for other offenses. Authorities have described Perez as a "shot caller" for his gang, and he has been linked to other violent crimes. In September 2023, the murder charges against him were elevated to capital offenses, and prosecutors filed a notice of intent to seek the death penalty.
