Ernesto Flores Arrested for Murder in Salt Lake City Shooting

Police arrested a 24-year-old man Thursday in connection with a fatal shooting that claimed the life of a 32-year-old man in Salt Lake City last weekend.

Ernesto Rosendo Flores was taken into custody and booked into the Salt Lake County Jail on suspicion of murder and obstruction of justice, KUTV reported. The arrest follows a four-day investigation by homicide detectives and the local Gang Unit into the death of Evan Cole.

The incident occurred just before 10 a.m. on Saturday, November 7, near 475 West 600 South. Officers arriving at the scene found Cole on the ground suffering from gunshot wounds, KUTV reported.

Cole was transported to a local hospital where he later died from his injuries.

Detectives reconstructed the moments leading up to the violence by examining the movements of two vehicles. According to investigators, Cole had turned off 600 South in a grey pickup truck shortly before the encounter began.

A white Audi S5 reportedly stopped behind the truck. Cole exited his vehicle and walked toward the driver’s side door of the Audi. As he began to walk backward, he was shot and fell to the ground, KUTV reported.

The investigation has now shifted toward identifying the vehicle used by the suspect. Detectives are searching for the Audi, which was last seen bearing a Nevada Raiders license plate, AL8K38.

Authorities are asking the public for specific digital evidence that could clarify the timeline of the shooting. Investigators are looking for anyone who may have captured footage of the grey truck and the white Audi in motion.

Specifically, detectives want to speak with anyone possessing dash cam footage showing the two vehicles traveling on northbound I-15. The window of interest is narrow: between 7200 South and 600 South, occurring between 9:45 a.m. and 9:54 a.m. on the morning of November 7, KUTV reported.

Those with information regarding the incident or the vehicle are encouraged to contact the Salt Lake City Police Department at 801-799-3000 and reference case 26-253936.

The investigation into the homicide continues.