Suspects in shooting death of teen in Southern Utah thought girls were ‘stalking’ them, police say

CEDAR CITY — Two of the four men arrested in connection with the killing of a 17-year-old Iron County girl said they followed and shot at her vehicle because they thought she and her passenger were “stalking” them, according to investigators.

Michael Edward Hess-Witacki, 23; Ethan Andrew Galloway, 23; Aldric S. Felipe, 21; and Matthew D. Sorber-Petri, 22, were each arrested in connection with the shooting.

Hess-Witacki and Galloway were each arrested for investigation of murder and 12 counts of discharge of a firearm resulting in serious injury; obstruction of justice; possession of a controlled substance; and possession of a dangerous weapon by a restricted person. Felipe and Sorber-Petri were each arrested for investigation of obstruction of justice, possession of a controlled substance, and being a restricted person in the transaction of a firearm.

Iron County Sheriff Ken Carpenter said the 17-year-old girl and her 18-year-old friend were in a red truck, driving along a stretch of road northwest of Cedar City, and were followed by a black truck. At about 10:42 p.m., he said the black truck pulled up alongside the teens and someone inside started firing.

Twelve shots were fired from the black truck, according to a police booking affidavit filed in support of the four men’s arrests. The vehicle then fled the scene.

The shots struck the driver of the red truck, causing her to lose control, the sheriff’s office said. The red truck swerved off the road, crashed through a vinyl fence and came to rest around 100 feet northwest of the intersection of Midvalley Road and 4300 West.

The passenger in the truck sustained a shrapnel injury to her leg, Carpenter said. He said the passenger was able to call 911.

Lifesaving measures were administered to the teen driver, but she died of multiple gunshot wounds at the scene. Her identity has not yet been released.

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