Teen charged as juvenile in 2022 West Jordan triple homicide now facing adult charges

WEST JORDAN, Utah (ABC4) — A teen who was charged as a juvenile in a triple homicide in 2022 is now facing adult charges three years later.

Stefon Sandoval, 18, has been charged with three counts of aggravated murder and eight counts of felony discharge of a firearm.

Steven Donovan Carmona, another teen involved in the crime, received these same charges in February 2023. He was convicted of aggravated murder, and the other charges were dismissed with prejudice. Three juveniles, one of whom was Sandoval, were also charged in juvenile court in February 2023.

A document filed Tuesday revealed the arguments from the prosecution that led to this case being transferred to the adult court. Sandoval has been in a juvenile detention facility since 2023, while his case progressed. Staff testified that he has made improvements in several areas, but they also had concerns regarding gang-related interests he still has.

The prosecution argued that despite the improvements Sandoval was showing in detention, the homicide committed when he was 15 was a “preplanned premeditated” attack using what he knew was a deadly weapon. A licensed psychologist testified that Sandoval’s gang involvement is a high risk factor for him to reoffend.

“Sandoval’s behavior in detention, as described by staff and supported by testimony, has been largely positive and compliant… However, the extensive, violent activity documented in social media, even if not all formally charged, suggests a level of dangerousness and commitment to a criminal lifestyle that is deeply concerning and relevant to both his history and the risk he poses,” the prosecution says in the filing.

Overall, the prosecution believed that Sandoval would need support and services provided by the corrections system beyond the age of 25. The juvenile system offers these services until that age, but anything after that is handled by the adult system. They argue that his “immersion in gang culture… presents a significant challenge to rehabilitation.”

The prosecution noted that whether he was tried as an adult or a juvenile, Sandoval would receive the same rehabilitative services that are supporting him now. They expressed their belief that these services will be necessary for Sandoval’s rehabilitation past the age of 25.

The court transferred the case to the adult system, and it was filed Tuesday, June 10.

Background on the 2022 triple homicide

According to documents, on June 17, 2022, a large fist fight broke out between members of rival gangs at West Fest in West Valley City. Following the fight, members of the gang that Sandoval participated in began seeking out those who were at the fistfight and planning retaliation. He was 15 at the time.

Over the next several weeks, social media messages between Sandoval and the other three people charged for the deadly shooting discussed plans to find the addresses of the rival gang members and get “them all together.”

On July 23, 2022, Sandoval, Carmona, and the two unnamed juveniles allegedly showed up at a party near 3000 W and 6920 S in West Jordan, where several of the rival gang members were. The group entered the party, then left several minutes later. Once the victims were outside, the group pulled up in a white Cadillac and fired out of the window.

Three people were killed in the drive-by shooting: Fayzan Ali, 18, Ayash Mohamed, 18, and Mohamed Mohamed, 20. Police arrived to find Ali dead at the scene, and both Ayash and Mohamed Mohamed were transported to the hospital, where they were pronounced deceased.

Witnesses told police about the white Cadillac and that several of them had fired their guns at it as it drove away. A few hours later, police allegedly located a vehicle matching the description with a bullet hole near Carmona’s apartment.

A search warrant revealed that he had a 9 mm handgun in his backpack, and Carmona was booked into the Salt Lake County Juvenile Receiving Center, as he was 17 at the time of the shooting. Forensic information revealed that some of the bullets and casings found at the scene matched this handgun.

Further search warrants uncovered messages exchanged between Carmona, Sandoval, and the two unnamed juveniles. The group discussed the shooting in vague terms, and one of the juveniles even sent an Instagram screenshot depicting the three homicide victims, documents say.

On January 11, 2023, the two unnamed juveniles were arrested by the Unified Police Department for putting up gang-related graffiti in a Magna neighborhood. During a search, the arresting officer located a .45 caliber handgun on one of the juveniles.

His parent told police that the gun was “linked” to the triple-homicide, and that Sandoval was also a shooter. The .45 caliber handgun was used to kill two of the victims, and prosecutors believe that Sandoval was the one to fire the handgun.

In February 2023, all four suspects in the triple homicide were taken into custody. Carmona was charged as an adult, Sandoval and the two juveniles were charged in juvenile court.

ABC4 has reached out to the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office for more information on the process for this case.