ST. GEORGE — A teen accused of shooting a man in the face in the summer of 2021 appeared for sentencing on aggravated robbery during a hearing held in 5th District Court last Thursday.
During the proceedings, two mothers made emotional pleas for their sons — one describing the injuries that will affect their adult child for the rest of his life and the other asking that her son not be lost to prison.
Shane Cameron Palomo, 19, of Mesquite, Nevada, who pleaded guilty to one first-degree felony count of aggravated robbery and second-degree aggravated assault, appeared before District Judge Keith C. Barnes during a sentencing hearing June 22 in 5th District Court in St. George.
Palomo originally was charged with first-degree attempted murder but it was amended to the first-degree aggravated robbery charge in exchange for a guilty plea.
The state was represented by prosecutor Jerry Jaeger while Paloma was represented by defense attorney Ryan Stout.
Months-long investigation follows shooting
A shooting near Tonaquint Cemetery in St. George on July 10, 2021, resulted in injuries to a 19-year-old man who was shot in the face, according to the affidavit filed in support of the arrest.
At the time the victim told officers he did not know who had shot him but said it was “a drug deal gone bad” and then showed police a bag containing marijuana-related items.
The teen was transported by ambulance to St. George Regional Hospital and underwent emergency surgery. It would be another 19 days before detectives could interview him further.
While processing the scene of the shooting, detectives collected evidence from the injured man’s vehicle, including cellphones that were sent to the digital forensics crime lab to be analyzed.
Detectives eventually learned the injured man had been communicating with Paloma via social media and had made arrangements to meet the suspect at the location near the cemetery where the shooting took place.
Shortly after the suspect showed up, he pulled a gun on the 19-year-old and told him, “I’m not messing around” and demanded the drugs. The teen pulled a gun from underneath the seat, which he said was unloaded. The suspect appeared to be surprised, the teen claimed, and the suspect’s gun went off. But the first bullet went in front of the teen and struck the door.
When the victim was backing away in his vehicle, the suspect reached inside the car and fired the second shot that struck him in the jaw, followed by a third round that struck the vehicle.
Officers obtained additional information that led to the identity of the suspect, Palomo, who was 18 at the time.
On Feb. 21, 2022, the suspect was arrested at his workplace by the Mesquite Police Department and extradited back to Utah where he was booked into jail facing first-degree attempted murder. He has remained in jail in Washington County since.
Fingerprints seal defendant’s fate
St. George Police Detective Brandon Dunbar, who was the lead detective in the case, said the Palomo was uncooperative with police when they finally tracked him down, at which point the defendant initially denied ever being at the park.
It was only after the fingerprint match came back from the crime lab that linked the defendant to the scene that Palomo admitted to being there. He then claimed there was another suspect involved but refused to provide information on that individual.
The defendant’s intentions were not to buy any drugs. He intended to rob the victim all along, and when went bad, the detective said, the defendant proceeded to “shoot the victim in the face.”
Prosecutor: It was the 2nd shot
Jaeger told the court it was the second shot that struck the victim in the face, and even after that shot, the prosecutor said, Palomo fired a third shot that struck the car the victim was driving as he sped away.
The shooting “nearly took the victim’s life,” requiring numerous expensive surgeries to repair the damage, including the $200,000 that was billed to the insurance company, in addition to the nearly $18,000 in medical bills the victim paid out of his own pocket.
The seriousness of the crime and the injuries sustained are “something the victim is going to be dealing with for the rest of his life,” Jaeger said.
Prison, probation or a 3rd option
The state’s position, based on the seriousness of the crime and the critical nature of the injuries, was that Palomo go to prison and serve his time as “justice demands,” Jaeger said.
“This is not a probation case,” he added.
Stout, Palomo’s defense attorney, reviewed the sentencing report that outlined aggravating factors in the case. One included two or more victims, which was an inaccurate statement in the report.
The mitigating circumstances were that Palomo had a stable household in Mesquite that would provide a supportive environment as a stable intervention to criminal conduct. He also said that his client is young and is at a critical stage in his life, and if he is sent to prison, he will be surrounded by criminality.
Stout said the matrix in the presentence report provided a sentencing range that varied from the low end, which included probation, to the higher end, which recommended a prison sentence.
Stout then asked the court to consider a third option: The Other Side Academy, which is a training school in the Salt Lake area that serves as an alternative to those facing long-term incarceration. The intensive program is designed for young offenders, as is the defendant, the attorney said and would include vocational training, accountability and substance abuse treatment. It requires a minimum 30-month commitment, which is even more time than what the higher end of the matrix would recommend, which was 450 days in jail.
He said he had an acceptance letter for his client to be transported to the program, should the court allow it, and added that while the program was not an easy one, for those who complete it, it can completely change their life.
“This would be best for him, and honestly, for society as well,” Stout said.
Tragedy for 2 families
The defendant’s mother said her son is one of six children, and that each was raised to believe that their bad choices would come with consequences.
She said her son’s father died of cancer while he was in custody in Washington County, as did two other family members, and said she has already lost her husband and could possibly lose her son to the system.
“I beg you please give my son the chance to go to the Other Side Academy.”
Should the sentence be prison, then she addressed her son.
“You will go there and you will get your education and anything else the system provides and not let anyone or anything get you down. You have the responsibility to get home as soon as possible.”
She closed by saying that her heart and prayers go out to the victim’s family.
The victim’s mother described the call she received in the early morning hours of July 11, 2021, when she learned her son was shot in the face and was in the ICU after undergoing emergency surgery that left him in critical condition with his jaw wired shut.
“A call like that is life-changing,” she said.
She said her son remained in the hospital for nearly four months, where he endured infections, extensive weight loss, a damaged eye and a shattered mandible that led to multiple surgeries, bone graphs and other complications. And while her son was aware his bad decisions led him to the park that night, “he didn’t deserve to be shot and almost murdered.”
She also thanked the detectives and said Dunbar’s efforts were critical to the investigation, particularly in light of what little information they had when they started.
She closed saying the defendant’s actions have left two families devastated.
“I feel heartbroken for everyone,” she said, adding that Palomo needed to feel the gravity of his choices and asked that the consequences reflect the tragedy and hurt that has affected so many lives.
The defendant’s address
“I want to start off by taking accountability for my actions,” said Palomo, adding that he understands the severity of his crimes and what his actions have done to the victim and to the man’s family.
“I can’t go back and right my wrongs. I can only ask that you forgive me.”
He then asked the judge to give him a second chance by allowing him to go to the program so that he can get the help he needs.
Final pleas
Stout asked the judge to show his young client mercy by diverting him into the program up north, while Jaeger said the hearing was not about the defendant, and what’s best for him. “What it really comes down to is what’s best for society, and consequences,” he said.
The ruling
Judge Barnes said he read the many statements provided on behalf of the defendant and said that even the defendant acknowledged his actions and apologized to the victim’s mother, as did the defendant’s mother, he said.
What is interesting, he said, was that all of the other letters in support of the defendant said nothing about the victim.
He said he appreciated the courage of those who spoke during the hearing, including the victim’s mother who acknowledged that leading up to the incident, her son had clearly made a mistake. Fortunately, the judge said, the victim has endured a bad situation and is now in a much better place.
“And even the mother of the victim hopes that you’ll do the same,” Barnes said to the defendant.
Despite the many pleas by the defense attorney recommending that his client be sent to the program up north, the judge saw things differently.
“The facts and your actions do not warrant that. Your actions warrant that you be sent to prison,” he said.
The judge then sentenced the defendant to serve five years to life in Utah State Prison on the aggravated robbery charge and 1-15 years for aggravated assault. The sentences were ordered to run concurrently. He was also ordered to pay more than $17, 235 in restitution to the victim upon his release.
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