The suspect in last week’s fatal shooting in Murray — which prompted a multi-vehicle wreck on State Street during rush hour — was charged Thursday after police arrested him on Halloween in Oregon.
Officers found 19-year-old Lucas Marc Deprey at a Western Union in Springfield, Oregon, and arrested him in the death of 33-year-old Ever Hernandez, court documents say.
Police traced him to the store after Deprey contacted a friend and asked for money to flee to another state. The friend then called police and told them Deprey had admitted to the shooting and was stranded in Oregon.
Deprey reportedly told his friend to look up news of the shooting, and said, “My picture was on there,” court documents say, apparently referring to surveillance images police released of the suspect shortly after the shooting.
When Deprey went to pick up the money at Western Union that he thought his friend transferred, police arrested him.
Deprey allegedly shot Hernandez in the face while the man was sitting in his red Ford Fusion at 5:26 p.m. on Oct. 25 in a Check City parking lot near 4500 South and State Street.
Hernandez was later pronounced dead at a local hospital from a gunshot wound to the head.
The shooting set off a series of crashes as Hernandez’s car careened across north and southbound lanes of State Street, striking at least four vehicles. No other motorists were injured.
Surveillance footage from nearby businesses shows a male matching Deprey’s description standing in the Check City parking lot, according to charging documents.
When Hernandez’s red Ford Fusion entered the lot, the male approaches, opens the front passenger door and places his hand inside. The driver-side window can then be seen shattering, charging documents state.
Footage later traces the suspect to a nearby Deseret Industries store, where he dumps his jacket and beanie in a dumpster, documents say.
From there, police believe Deprey went north to Parris RV, where he talked with an employee and told him to not go south because “shots were just fired.”
Deprey then boarded a UTA Trax train. A UTA police detective identified Deprey from surveillance footage.
Prosecutors on Thursday charged Deprey — who is listed as a transient — with first-degree felony murder and second-degree felony counts of unlawfully possessing a firearm and obstructing justice. Bail was set at $1 million, cash-only.
At the time of the shooting, Deprey was on probation to Salt Lake City’s 3rd District Court in three cases where he had pleaded guilty to third-degree felony counts of aggravated assault. A judge on Wednesday issued no-bail arrest warrants because Deprey had allegedly failed to follow through on probation requirements.
Deprey used a hatchet, a knife and fake gun in the three cases, according to court records.
On March 5, at about 900 South and 400 West, in Salt Lake City, Deprey threatened a man with a hatchet and said he was going to kill him. The man walked away before anything else happened. When police arrived, Deprey was hitting a power pole with the hatchet, which he said he carried for protection.
On March 31, at a TRAX platform at 900 S. 200 West, in Salt Lake City, a man who was waiting for a train reported that Deprey got off the train, pulled a knife and followed him across the platform, saying, “You are lucky you are not dead. I could kill you right now if I wanted to.” Surveillance footage then shows Deprey leaving the platform.
On April 13, at a Shopko at 4850 W. 3500 South, in West Valley City, Deprey tried to leave with merchandise valued at about $37. When stopped by a store employee, Deprey lifted his shirt, displayed a black handgun in his waistband and asked,”Why didn’t I just shoot you right now?”
The employee flagged down a police officer, who saw Deprey fleeing on a bicycle and arrested him. A witness had seen Deprey throw something in a yard, which proved to be a black airsoft pistol. Deprey told police he carries a gun of protection.
Also in the past year, Deprey also has been charged with misdemeanors for retail theft, assault and drug possession, court records show.