WEST POINT, Utah — A man has been taken into custody and arrested for murder in the shooting death of a West Point man who was shot outside his home last month.
The Davis County Sheriff's Office said Axel Eduardo Chavez, 23, was taken into custody in Las Vegas on Tuesday, and that the vehicle connected to the May 30 shooting was also located.
In the early evening of May 30, James Witten had stepped outside his home near 2000 West and 300 North to take out the trash when he was shot dead on his porch. Witten's family said the shooting was "totally random" and that he did not have any connection to the suspect or suspects.
"They killed an old man who was doing no harm," said Witten's wife, Maria, days after her husband's death.
During a briefing Tuesday, the sheriff's office said they were still not sure of the motive for the shooting, and were unaware of any prior interactions between Witten and Chavez.
"[The family is] very excited that an arrest has been made, and they know that we'll continue to work 'til the case is all the way completed," said Chief Deputy of Law Enforcement Taylor West.
Davis County Sheriff's Office holds briefing on arrest in video below:
Witnesses at the West Point shooting scene reported seeing a maroon Honda Civic driving away from the scene. The Honda was the vehicle located by authorities on Tuesday.
According to the sheriff's office, Chavez is believed to be from El Salvador, but lives in Los Angeles with an unknown connection to Las Vegas. Officials said that immediately following the shooting, they were under the assumption that the suspect was from out of state and had focused on Las Vegas since the day after Witten was killed.
"It's times like these that make me so thankful for the training and the years of experience and the skill that our leaders have," said Davis County Sheriff Kelly Sparks. "They've been able to keep a focus on the efforts of this investigation, keep the investigation moving forward, and have just done a remarkable job leading to this arrest today."
Along with the Murder charge, Chavez also faces charges of Felony Discharge of a Firearm, Obstruction of justice, and Prohibited Dangerous Weapon Conduct.
The sheriff's office is still investigating the shooting and is looking to determine whether anyone else was involved.
