SOUTH SALT LAKE — Three people, including an 18-year-old documented gang member, have been arrested and accused of interfering with a weekend shooting investigation in South Salt Lake.
Emillio Nicholas Cabrera,18, Shelby Montoya, 31, and Michelle Lynn Alvarado, 60, were each booked into the Salt Lake County Jail Tuesday for investigation of obstruction of justice.
Police say there was “an altercation between criminal street gangs that began at a house party” on Sunday near 2700 South and 300 East, during which one person was shot in the head and the hip about 4:20 a.m., according to a police booking affidavit. The affidavit does not give any other details about the victim, only that the shooting caused “serious” injuries.
Detectives determined that Cabrera was at the party at the time of the shooting. One person told police that Cabrera “went outside moments before the shooting occurred.”
When questioned Tuesday, Cabrera told police he left the party between 11 p.m. and 1 a.m. Detectives, however, say there is evidence he was still at the party through the early morning hours, according to the affidavit. Detectives also noted that Cabrera had changed his story several times.
“He has changed details about when he left the party, being at the party at the time of the shooting, not hearing shots and then saying he did hear shots. He has said he was not outside at the time of the shooting and then said he was outside. Emilio has provided false information regarding his involvement in this investigation,” the arresting officers wrote in the affidavit.
Police say Cabrera is a documented gang member with identifiable gang-related tattoos.
Cabrera’s mother, Alvarado, was also arrested Tuesday for claiming that she had received a call to pick up her son from the party about two hours prior to the shooting, according to a police booking affidavit. However, detectives noted that “she was unable to find a phone call record on her phone or any messages for the time period.
“Michelle has provided false information to officers in order to hide Emillio’s involvement in this investigation,” the affidavit states.
Likewise, police say Montoya also gave investigators false information about when Cabrera called her and when he arrived home.
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