SALT LAKE CITY -- An arraignment hearing for a man facing 31 felony charges including attempted murder was delayed Wednesday afternoon after he refused transport from the jail to the courthouse.
Judge Royal Hansen ordered the suspect be transported immediately and authorized jail personnel to use "reasonably necessary force," to bring Valentin Dulla Santarromana to court.
After that order, Santarromana was brought to the hearing. Once he arrived, the man's attorney asked that the hearing be delayed. The judge accepted that request. Santarromana is due back in court May 12.
The charges against the man stem from an incident on August 22 of 2015, when Santarromana allegedly sexually assaulted and shot his estranged wife. He also allegedly shot her friend an estimated 15 times, severing her spine, puncturing her lungs and nearly amputating two of her fingers.
The shooting occurred as Santarromana encountered his estranged wife at a home, where neither party had been living regularly during their estrangement. The shootings prompted a SWAT response and standoff. Santarromana initially faced 31 felony charges for the shootings.
Police said Santarromana had been hospitalized a week prior to the SWAT incident after he made suicidal threats. His estranged wife had also requested a protective order, but it had not yet been served when the shooting occurred.
