On the evening of January 18, 2018, a tragic and violent series of events unfolded on the streets of West Valley City, Utah, culminating in the death of 15-year-old male, Irving Alexis Chuba. He was driving a van with several teenage friends near 3500 South Bangerter Highway when another vehicle carrying a group of teens began to pursue them. Recognizing the occupants of the other car, Chuba attempted to evade them, leading to a high-speed chase.
The pursuing vehicle recklessly weaved through traffic and ran red lights in its relentless pursuit of the van.
The chase came to a devastating end near 4100 South Bangerter Highway. Forced to slow down due to traffic, the van was cornered. The pursuing car pulled up alongside, and multiple shots were fired into Chuba's vehicle. Struck by the gunfire, Chuba lost control of the van, which then veered into oncoming traffic and collided with another car. Tragically, a chihuahua that was in the van with the teenagers was also struck by a bullet and killed.
In the aftermath of the shooting, law enforcement launched a thorough investigation which proved to be challenging due to a lack of initial information and tips. However, through persistent police work, two suspects were identified and apprehended. Emanuel Angel Moreno-Vallejo and Robert Theron Danhauer, both 16 years old at the time, were arrested and charged as adults with murder.
The investigation revealed that the motive for the shooting was gang-related, with the suspects allegedly seeking to gain credibility within their gang by confronting rivals. Moreno-Vallejo reportedly admitted to firing the shots into the van. A search of Danhauer's residence uncovered a handgun that had been reported stolen. After the shooting, the suspects allegedly drove past the scene of the crash, with Moreno-Vallejo stating, "I shot that kid." Both teenagers faced multiple felony charges, including murder and obstruction of justice.
