On the evening of March 9, 2021, a fatal encounter in a church parking lot in Kearns, Utah, claimed the life of 32-year-old Hispanic/Latino male, Alonso Gerardo Garcia Mendoza. Garcia-Mendoza, along with two friends, had gone to the location at 5305 W. 5400 South under the impression that they were there for a drug transaction. However, the meeting was a ruse for a planned robbery. Shortly after arriving, their vehicle was ambushed by gunfire.
Garcia-Mendoza was fatally wounded in the driver's seat of his BMW. In an attempt to escape the barrage of bullets, he tried to drive away but crashed into a nearby fence. The two other men in the car with him were also shot and sustained serious to critical injuries, with one suffering two collapsed lungs.
The investigation into the shooting led to the identification and arrest of several suspects. Security camera footage and witness accounts were crucial in piecing together the events and identifying the individuals involved. The investigation revealed that four males had approached the vehicle, with two of them opening fire. Jonathan Montrail Johnson, then 20, and Shihab Wesaga, then 18, were identified as the shooters. Two juveniles, aged 15 and 17, were also taken into custody in connection with the crime. Another adult suspect, Dalmar Mohamed Abdi, was also charged.
The legal process that followed brought convictions and lengthy prison sentences for the main perpetrators. In May 2023, a jury found Shihab Wesaga guilty of first-degree felony murder, aggravated robbery, and multiple counts of felony discharge of a firearm. He was subsequently sentenced to a minimum of 36 years to life in prison. In October 2023, Jonathan Montrail Johnson was also convicted by a jury on similar charges, including murder and aggravated robbery. He also received a sentence of at least 36 years to life in prison for his role in the death of Alonso Gerardo Garcia Mendoza. The cases against the other co-defendants have been proceeding through the justice system.
