In the early morning hours of September 13, 2018, the life of 20-year-old Noe Armijo-Luna, a Hispanic male from Midvale, Utah, was tragically cut short. He was eating with a friend at a Rancherito's restaurant in West Jordan when two men walked in, forever altering the course of the night. The visit was not a coincidence; one of the men, Jayden Olsen, had an ongoing dispute with Armijo-Luna.
Olsen had used Snapchat to locate him at the restaurant.
The confrontation inside the restaurant was brief and violent. Olsen's companion, 18-year-old Jonathan Hunt, instigated the attack. Witnesses reported that after a verbal altercation, Hunt punched Armijo-Luna in the head. As Armijo-Luna attempted to stand up, Hunt produced a handgun and shot him multiple times. Emergency personnel arrived and transported him to a local hospital, but he succumbed to his injuries and died. The two men fled the scene in a vehicle driven by a 17-year-old female.
West Jordan police quickly identified the individuals involved. Investigators determined that the motive stemmed from a months-long dispute between Olsen and Armijo-Luna concerning a girl Olsen had previously dated. Within the day, police located and arrested Jonathan Hunt, Jayden Olsen, and the 17-year-old female driver. Hunt was identified as a known gang member, and Armijo-Luna's family later stated they believed he committed the murder to gain credibility within the gang.
Jonathan Hunt was charged with murder and felony discharge of a firearm. Jayden Olsen faced a charge of obstructing justice, and the teenage girl was booked into a juvenile detention center for obstruction of justice. In November 2023, a jury found Jonathan Hunt guilty of murder, rejecting his claim of self-defense. He was subsequently sentenced to a term of 20 years to life in prison. During the sentencing, Armijo-Luna's family expressed their profound grief and pointed to a teardrop tattoo Hunt acquired after the murder as a sign of bragging rather than remorse.
