An illegal immigrant from El Salvador has been charged with fatally shooting a 71-year-old Army and Air Force veteran outside his home in Davis County, Utah, in May. Axel Eduardo Chavez-Marroquin, 24, was arrested in Nevada on June 16 and later transferred to Utah.
James Randell “Randy” Witten was hanging decorations on his porch when Chavez-Marroquin allegedly leapt from a car and fired about 10 rounds into his back. The suspect fled the scene, and police later found the vehicle in Las Vegas after witnesses reported erratic driving and items thrown from the car.
Chavez-Marroquin crossed the border illegally in 2021 and was released into the country. He had prior domestic violence arrests and a conviction in California, where local authorities ignored Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainers under sanctuary policies.
Authorities say he arrived in Utah just hours before the shooting. Prosecutors have described him as a flight risk, and ICE has lodged another detainer. He faces charges including murder with a dangerous weapons enhancement.
Assistant Homeland Security Secretary Lauren Bis said the case shows how sanctuary policies put lives at risk and called for cooperation to remove the suspect from the country.
