Piute High Student Shot And Killed; 17-year-old Boy Arrested: A 17-year-old teenager was detained in connection with the shooting death of a 16-year-old Piute High School student on Sunday after a high-speed police pursuit.
Just before 10 o’clock in the evening, deputies from the Piute County Sheriff’s Office responded to a complaint of gunfire on Doc Springs Road, which is located about four miles north of Circleville. According to a statement issued on Monday by the sheriff’s office, Jacqueline Nunez, 16, was discovered shot to death close to a dirt road around fifteen minutes later.
To locate a blue Ford Ranger, deputies issued an attempt-to-locate alert to other deputies and agencies in the area. How the deputies knew to hunt for that car was not explained in the statement.
A Sevier County sheriff’s officer saw the car just after 11 p.m. in Glenwood, in Sevier County, which is about 60 miles from Circleville.
According to the sheriff’s office, “when the deputy attempted to stop the vehicle, the driver fled, sending officers in a high-speed chase, which concluded near Salina.”
Without further ado, a 17-year-old boy was taken into custody. The child has since been charged with aggravated murder in 6th District Juvenile Court, according to the sheriff’s office, but Piute County Attorney Scott Burns is debating whether to “direct file” the adolescent, which would mean his case would be transferred into the adult court system.
According to her older sister Mayuni, Jacqueline Nunez was a student at Piute High School who liked cheering, volleyball, basketball, softball, and living life to the fullest.
In this trying time, Mayuni Nunez told KSL that her family is in need of prayers.
“For us, this is unfathomable. I never, ever, ever expected to hear anything like this, not in a million years, “said Mayuni Nunez. “Everything happened so quickly, and now she’s simply gone,”
The youngster, according to Mayuni Nunez, is Nunez’s boyfriend, but he never displayed any aggressive behavior toward her sister.
“He seemed like a decent guy to us. But if appearances are deceiving, as we all believed he was a good child, “said Mayuni Nunez. I’m not sure whether we could have helped her or if there was anything we could have done because she never asked for assistance.
Mayuni Nunez exhorts everyone, with tears streaming down her cheeks, to spend time with their loved ones, “because honestly, at the end of the day, that’s what matters.”
Piute County does not experience tragedies like this, according to Koby Willis, head of the school system. “There is a great deal of suffering and anguish.”
Relatives paid Nunez tribute online by posting remarks on social media.
“You were our newborn child and the bravest as well as the youngest. All of the things I want to convey to you are too complex for words. I’m sure you’re safe now, and I hope you’re enjoying life with your grandparents and all the furry family members up there. One person wrote on social media, “Don’t worry about the fur kids down here, it’s our job to look after them “She has feelings.
“I appreciate you always being a bright spot in my life. Every moment of every day that you are not here will be missed by me. I can’t wait to see you again, so watch out for us from above. Keep in mind that you are a precious baby.
“Though we sincerely appreciate it, the details are currently too painful to bear. We hope that whoever killed her will face the full force of the law “The post was finished.
Added was another relative, “The worst day of my life was yesterday, last night. I am in excruciating pain. I’ve never experienced pain on this scale, but I do now.
“Although I wish it were, none of this is a nightmare. And you are no longer here “The message kept going. “Give your loved ones a hug. What I wouldn’t give to give you one last embrace and tell you I love you.”
Marty Gleave, the sheriff of Piute, described his county as “devastated.”
Everyone in our little county is familiar with the victim and her family, he claimed in a statement. Everyone, from Piute High School students, instructors, and staff to friends and neighbors, is in shock and hurt from this tragedy since murders don’t happen where we live, as you can understand.
The Piute School District released a statement on Monday morning in which they expressed their sympathies for the girl’s family.
They also informed parents and students that counselors would be accessible at school all week for anyone who needed to chat, but that their absences on Monday would be excused if parents opted to keep their children at home.
Bailey Dalton, a local of Circleville, is unfamiliar with the Nunez family but wants to assist. When she called the State Bank of Southern Utah’s Circleville office to establish an account* that others could donate to on Nunez’s behalf, she discovered that someone else had already done so at the branch in Gunnison.
According to Dalton, Mayuni Nunez’s acquaintance who works at the bank opened the account for Nunez to help cover the funeral and other costs.
Dalton stated that the Nunez family has been a part of the community for a very long time “Everyone in the town had a very, very sad day. It is really heavy.”
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