Wounded park ranger fighting infection

The state park ranger shot last month outside Moab has been downgraded from serious condition as he battles infection in a Colorado hospital.

Brody Young, 34, was listed in critical condition Monday evening, said Kim Williams, a spokeswoman for St. Mary's Hospital in Grand Junction, where Young has been since being shot multiple times during a Nov. 19 traffic stop near the Poison Spider Mesa trail southwest of Moab.

"[Doctors] fully expected he would have some problems with infection, and that's the case," said Utah State Parks and Recreation spokeswoman Deena Loyola. "He's just having some ups and downs. ... We still have every belief he's going to pull through."

Police had hoped to speak with Young early this week about the November shootout and the ensuing manhunt, but "Brody is simply not able to talk. It's probably going to be another few weeks," Loyola said.

Grand County prosecutors, meanwhile, filed additional charges Monday against the man suspected of shooting Young.

Lance Leeroy Arellano, 40, charged in November with attempted murder, now faces an amended charge of first-degree felony attempted aggravated murder because Young was an on-duty peace officer.

Prosecutors also charged Arellano in 7th District Court with failure to stop at the command of an officer and giving false information to a peace officer, both class A misdemeanors.

Hundreds of officers spent nearly a week searching for Arellano in the rugged desert last month but found nothing.

Patrols of two or three people are still searching the desert for Arellano, said Grand County Sheriff Jim Nyland. Detectives have begun poring over maps of the area once again, hoping to find something they did not see the first time. "We're trying to get creative," Nyland said. "We got some areas we didn't feel got searched very well. We're trying to fill in the gaps."

Nyland said it's possible Arellano left the area, but police have not received a single tip or a report of a possible sighting of the man, who was also injured in the shootout.

"That's why we're still thinking that guy is down in there somewhere," Nyland said. —

Concert and auction

When • 6-9 p.m., Friday

Where • Eastmont Middle School, 10100 S. 1300 East, Sandy

Donations • Monetary donations may also be made at rangerbrody.org.