ST. GEORGE — The teen charged with aggravated murder in the fatal shooting of a man inside a Washington City apartment in July is facing additional charges that were filed this week by the Washington County Attorney’s Office.
Simeon Gail Calnimptewa, 17, initially was charged with six first-degree felonies — including aggravated murder, aggravated robbery, aggravated burglary and three counts of discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury — shortly after he was transported to the Washington County Juvenile Detention Center where he remains in custody.
On Monday, prosecutor Lane Wood with the Washington County Attorney’s Office filed seven additional charges that include two second-degree felony counts of theft-receiving of a firearm, along with five third-degree felony charges of aggravated assault, two counts of possession of a weapon by a restricted person and two counts of possession of a dangerous weapon-handgun by a minor.
The incident
The case was filed after officers responded to a report of gunshots fired at 20 North Red Trail in Washington City on June 30. Upon entering the uniting question, they found a man with several gunshot wounds who later died from his injuries, according to the probable cause statement filed in support of the arrest.
Shortly before the 911 call, the man and his girlfriend returned home to find a suspect wearing a ski mask and a dark-colored hoodie walking out of one of the bedrooms brandishing a firearm reportedly pointed in their direction.
A physical altercation ensued when the victim confronted the intruder, which is when the suspect shot the man at least three times before pointing the gun at the woman demanding she open the apartment door. She did and the suspect grabbed a jar of money off the kitchen counter and fled that apartment on foot.
The suspect was caught on multiple cameras leaving the apartment and he was later identified as Calnimptewa. Officers later found him asleep at his residence and arrested him.
The teen was charged as an adult with the six initial charges and made an initial appearance in 5th District Court before District Judge Eric Ludlow on July 9 in St. George.
Firearms and evidence recovered leads to added charges
The seven additional charges were filed after evidence surfaced regarding the weapons recovered during a warrant search of the suspect’s room shortly after the shooting. During the search, officers recovered two firearms – a Smith and Wesson .380 and a Walther 9 mm handgun.
Detectives requested the Smith and Wesson be traced through Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms agents that revealed the original purchaser of the gun sold it to a man in Orem, who agents learned had kept the gun in his vehicle.
The owner in Orem then reported the gun as stolen during a car burglary. The owner reported that his vehicle was parked in front of the residence was broken into on Nov. 16, 2023, and the gun was one of the items taken.
As it turned out, court documents state, Calnimptewa was a runaway and was reportedly in the Orem-Provo area at the time of the break-in, and the firearm that was stolen was reportedly the same gun recovered from the defendant’s bedroom following the shooting.
When the Walther 9 mm was recovered, the state alleges, officers found the gun covered with a tape-like covering that also concealed the serial number. The gun was then sent to the Utah State Crime Lab that uncovered and confirmed the gun’s serial number.
When detectives ran a check on the serial number it came back as stolen during a vehicle burglary in Washington City on Nov. 24, 2023, eight days after the vehicle burglary in Orem.
With the defendant being in possession of firearms knowing they had been stolen, or believing they had probably been stolen, the state filed the additional weapons charges. Court records also revealed that Calnimptewa was known to officers in Washington City from prior involvements, the details of which are sealed since he is still a juvenile.
A search warrant recently made public indicated that officers recovered bullet casings, clothing, video and other forensic evidence that was sent to the crime lab for analysis.
The warrant also allowed investigators to take a 3D laser scan of the crime scene to preserve it, which essentially freezes the scene at a certain moment in time and captures measurements, distance and other evidence that allows investigators to revisit the scene virtually — just as it was at the time of the incident.
The defendant is being represented by defense attorney Ryan Stout and is scheduled to be in 5th District Court in St. George for a status hearing on Sept. 10. He remains in custody at the juvenile detention center at this time.
This report is based on statements from court records, police or other responders and may not contain the full scope of findings. Persons arrested or charged are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law or as otherwise decided by a trier-of-fact.
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