In the early morning hours of January 9, 2021, a gathering in Salt Lake City's Glendale neighborhood turned tragic. Emilio Salazar, a 28-year-old Hispanic male, was at a home on West California Avenue when a dispute erupted. Around 1:55 a.m., shots were fired. First responders arrived to a grim scene, finding Salazar in the carport area, bleeding from a gunshot wound to the back of his head.
He was rushed to a local medical center in extremely critical condition and, despite medical efforts, succumbed to his injuries approximately seven hours later.
The investigation into the death of Emilio Salazar quickly focused on a single suspect, identified by witnesses as 19-year-old Alex Christopher Mendoza Jr., known on the street as "Baby Alex." Initially, some witnesses were terrified to speak, with the homeowners first claiming it was a drive-by shooting. However, they later testified that Mendoza was the shooter, changing their story once they were no longer afraid of retaliation. After nearly a full day of constant follow-up, homicide detectives located Mendoza at his residence and took him into custody without incident. The firearm used in the shooting was not immediately recovered.
Alex Mendoza, a documented member of the Chiques gang, was no stranger to law enforcement. He had been implicated in numerous other shootings and violent felonies. Following his arrest for Salazar's death, he was charged with murder and three counts of felony discharge of a firearm. Mendoza declined to speak with detectives after being read his Miranda rights. In August 2022, after a trial where the jury deliberated for about six hours, Mendoza was found guilty on all charges related to the murder. He was subsequently sentenced to 15 years to life in prison for the murder charge, with a consecutive sentence of five years to life for one of the firearm charges. Salazar's family described him as a beloved son, brother, uncle, and friend, expressing their profound grief over the senseless act of violence that took his life.
