In the early hours of July 1, 2020, in Ogden, Utah, the life of 40-year-old Hispanic female Stephanie Louise Chavez was tragically cut short. Just after midnight, Ogden Police responded to a call of shots fired at a residence on the 3000 block of Adams Avenue. Inside the home, they discovered Stephanie's body, bearing gunshot wounds. Another woman, a friend of Stephanie's, was also found at the scene with gunshot injuries but was in stable condition after receiving medical treatment.
The
home where the shooting occurred belonged to Stephanie's estranged husband, Sergio Arturo Chavez. Hours before the fatal incident, Sergio had reportedly gone to Stephanie's new apartment and physically assaulted her in front of their two young sons. Following this confrontation, Stephanie and her friend, Mandy Lopez, went to Sergio's residence. Lopez testified that she saw Stephanie kick open a bedroom door where Sergio was with another woman. It was then that Sergio, armed with a. 45-caliber handgun, opened fire.
Lopez recounted the horrific moments, stating she witnessed Sergio shoot Stephanie in the head and chest. As Stephanie fell backward, Lopez herself was struck by a bullet in the arm. She fled the house, hearing more gunshots as she ran for her life. The investigation revealed that Sergio Chavez had sent numerous threatening text and Facebook messages to Stephanie leading up to the shooting, including threats to kill her and her family. One message reportedly included a photo of a. 45 pistol with the words, "This is what you get."
Sergio Arturo Chavez was arrested at the scene. He was charged with first-degree murder in the death of his estranged wife and attempted murder for the shooting of her friend. He later entered into a plea bargain, pleading guilty to a reduced charge of second-degree felony manslaughter and first-degree felony attempted murder. In September 2021, a judge sentenced him to consecutive prison terms of one to 15 years for manslaughter and three years to life for attempted murder. During the sentencing, Stephanie's mother and best friend gave emotional testimony, urging for the maximum punishment. Police also discovered that Sergio Chavez was in the country illegally and possessed fraudulent identification under the alias "Victor Cisneros."
