'Enemy No. 1' suspect surrenders to S.L. police

0 Comments | Deseret News (Salt Lake City), Oct 25, 2006 | by Pat Reavy Deseret Morning News

The man accused of being Salt Lake's Public Enemy No. 1, who has been on the run from police for nearly a year following a high profile homicide in Salt Lake City's Avenues, was arrested and booked into jail Tuesday after turning himself in.

Police had searched for 18-year-old Moses Unique Ellis since last November. Tuesday, Ellis showed up unexpectedly at the Salt Lake County Jail, said Salt Lake police detective Robin Snyder.

"He told them police were looking for him and he wanted to turn himself in," she said.

Ellis was taken to Salt Lake police headquarters, where homicide detectives interviewed him and then took him back to jail.

Salvadore Gomez, 35, was shot and killed Nov. 27, 2005, during a fight between members of a gang in the Terrace Hills Park parking lot at 900 East and 11th Avenue. An estimated 20 and 30 members of the gang, including younger members who were squaring off against older leaders, were at the melee.

An AK-47 assault rifle was used in the shooting. Gomez was slain and two others suffered gunshot injuries.

Ellis, then 17, was charged in 3rd District Court with attempted homicide in the shooting of one of the victims, and 10 counts of discharging a firearm.

Tuesday, he was booked into jail on the attempted homicide warrant and for investigation into the slaying.

In April, Ellis was named a Public Enemy No. 1 by the Salt Lake Metro Gang Unit. At least two others have already been arrested in connection with the brawl.

Details of what prompted Ellis to turn himself in and where he has been hiding for the past 11 months were not known Tuesday.

At one point during their search, investigators believed that Ellis had fled to California.

E-MAIL: preavy@desnews.com