A 25-year-old West Valley City man was arrested last week, making him the fifth adult to be apprehended in connection to a large shootout at a Peoa party in mid-May.

Jose Carlo Mendez-Villa was taken into custody by Summit County Sheriff’s Office deputies on Thursday for five felony counts of discharging a firearm. He was not formally charged as of Tuesday morning, but he was being held in the Summit County Jail without bail.

Four other men are facing similar weapons charges stemming from a dispute between party organizers and a group kicked out of a short-term rental in Browns Canyon.

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Mendez-Villa was identified as an alleged shooter in the incident. It’s unclear based on the arresting report whether he was associated with the hosts or those asked to leave. 

The 25-year-old was seen shooting “an AK-47 style weapon” toward a group from behind the front of a vehicle in surveillance footage. He was also seen physically assaulting them earlier.

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He was later found at his home in West Valley City and taken into custody. Deputies searched his residence, locating several guns, ammunition and firearm accessories. There was also clothing that matched what Mendez-Villa was seen wearing in the security video, according to the detective’s report. 

Deputies were dispatched to a large rental venue around 3 a.m. on May 19 after gunshots were fired at the party. Hundreds of people and dozens of cars were fleeing when law enforcement arrived.

Further investigation determined two groups opened fire on each other outside of the “pay-to-play” party. Tensions between the men escalated after one person reportedly shoved another. A gun was pulled and shots erupted between the two groups.

Manuel A. Pimentel-Gonzalez and Francisco Enrique Romero-Fuenmayor, both 23, as well as 22-year-old Alejandro “Tuqi” Carreno-Romero have been identified as party organizers. They have all been released from the Summit County Jail as they await trial.

Jose Enrique Zungia-Diaz, 18, and a juvenile male were also arrested as part of the friend’s group. Diaz is being heldwithout bail. Prosecutors have since dismissed the charges against the minor in Third District Court. However, he could be charged in juvenile court.

The adults each face two counts of discharging a firearm and causing an injury, a second-degree felony, and three counts of firing a gun unlawfully, a third-degree felony. 

Pimentel-Gonzalez faces additional felony charges of possessing a dangerous weapon illegally and aggravated assault. He was struck by a bullet during the exchange. Law enforcement later found him at a Utah County hospital with a gunshot wound that entered his back and exited his arm.

A man from the group of friends was shot in the hand. It is unclear if he was otherwise involved in the shooting. The individual has not been arrested or charged.

Around 40 shell casings, four firearms, 11 cell phones, multiple cartridges and security footage were collected as evidence. Deputies later found four vehicles with bullet holes, 17 shell casings at the bottom of the hill where the friends group was, and 22 shell casings at the top of the hill from organizers, according to court documents.

A second-degree felony carries a sentence of between one and 15 years in prison.