3 charged in death of Utah man during gang-related break-in

Three men were charged Wednesday in the shooting death of a Holladay man during a gang-related break-in at the victim's apartment last month.

Damian Antonio Garcia, 19, was charged in 3rd District Court with first-degree felony counts of murder and aggravated burglary in the May 21 death of 46-year-old Darrin Jackson.

Garcia also was charged with two counts of first-degree felony discharge of a firearm, and second-degree felony counts of obstructing justice, possession of a dangerous weapon by a restricted person.

Joshua Nguyen, 21, was charged with murder, aggravated burglary and obstructing justice.

Keison Kuykendall, 18, was charged with murder and aggravated burglary.

The three are documented members of a street gang, while Jackson and his son, 26-year-old Jonathan Jackson — who was beaten and shot in the hand during the episode — also belong to a rival street gang, charges state.

The break-in occurred at about 2:10 a.m., when the son answered a knock on the door of the Jackson's apartment located near 1800 E. 4900 South.

As Jonathan Jackson began to open the door, it was kicked out of his hands and several males entered.

Jackson was struck in the face with fists and a gun,and he also was assaulted with a fire poker, charges state.

The son called out for his father while running to the kitchen to grab a knife, and Darrin Jackson came out of his bedroom with a pool stick, charges state.

The son — who was shot in the left hand — said he heard several gunshots and saw his father laying on the floor.

Witnesses inside the apartment, through personal recognition and photo line-ups, identified Garcia and Nguyen as two of the intruders, charges state.

Garcia later told police he came to the apartment with Nguyen and Kuykendall and that he fired two shots at one person, charges state.

Garcia also said that a second person came running at him with a knife, and he fired one shot at that person.

Garcia then ran from the apartment and later threw the gun in the Jordan River, he allegedly told police.

Police arrived at about 2:30 a.m. found Darrin Jackson was dead. The son was taken to a hospital for treatment of his hand injury.

A search of the apartment revealed three fired bullets, a fire poker and a broken pool stick, charges state.

An autopsy showed that Darrin Jackson died from a gunshot wound to the head. The man also was shot in the chest and suffered facial injuries consistent with being hit with a fire poker, charges state.

Nguyen told police he was with his girlfriend on the night of the break-in, and that they went out to eat and went to a movie theater, charges state. But when police spoke to the girlfriend, she said that did not happen, but that Nguyen told her that if she was questioned by police to say they had gone to dinner and a movie, charges state.

Court records show that in June 2015, a judge sentenced Garcia to 214 days in jail and three years of probation for the gang-related crime of felony discharge of a firearm and aggravated assault.

He was charged last September with aggravated robbery and has pleaded not guilty to the crime, according to court records.