SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — Nearly a decade after 16-year-old Paris Gustin was shot and killed following an egg-throwing incident, one of the men involved has been sentenced to prison.
Martin Antonio Cruz, 31, was sentenced Monday to one to 15 years in prison for manslaughter in connection with Gustin’s 2016 death. The sentence includes credit for more than nine years Cruz has already spent in custody.
The case began in the early morning hours of July 5, 2016, when Gustin and two other teenagers were riding in a Honda Civic in Salt Lake City’s Fairpark area. The teenagers had been throwing eggs at vehicles and other people, according to investigators.
At some point, an egg thrown from the teens’ vehicle struck Fortunato Nato Villagrana in the ear and landed inside his vehicle.
Investigators said Villagrana then went home, retrieved an AK-47, and returned with Cruz. The two men searched for the vehicle carrying the teenagers.
When they located the teens, Villagrana allegedly leaned out of the passenger-side window and fired at their vehicle while Cruz was driving. Gustin was struck and suffered fatal gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Gustin was 16 years old.
Cruz accepts manslaughter plea
Cruz was originally facing a murder charge along with three firearm-related counts. As part of a plea agreement, prosecutors reduced the murder charge to manslaughter and dropped the three firearm charges.
Cruz pleaded guilty on Aug. 3 and acknowledged that he recklessly caused Gustin’s death.
The sentencing came after years of delays in the case. Cruz waived his right to a speedy trial in 2018, while his attorney argued that much of the lengthy delay was not his fault.
Cruz’s attorney, Samuel Hanseen, asked the court to consider the roughly nine and a half years Cruz had already spent behind bars. Hanseen said Cruz did not want to take part in the shooting but failed to stand up to Villagrana.
Hanseen also said Cruz accepts responsibility for his actions and wishes he had made a different decision.
Cruz did not make a statement in court.
Gustin family speaks at sentencing
Paris Gustin’s family described the lasting impact of his death during Monday’s sentencing.
His mother, Ashley Gustin, said the loss had affected every part of her life. She also questioned whether Paris was actually the teenager who threw the egg, noting that he may have simply been a passenger in the vehicle.
Gustin’s father, Michael Begay, told the court that his son would never come home and expressed the continuing pain caused by the loss.
Other family members also spoke about the years they have spent grieving Paris and the circumstances surrounding his death.
Why prosecutors agreed to the plea deal
Deputy Salt Lake County Attorney Brad Cooley said the reduced charge was connected to Cruz’s cooperation with prosecutors.
Villagrana had fled the United States and was eventually arrested in Mexico. He was returned to Utah in January 2022 to face charges in Gustin’s death.
Salt Lake City police said investigators determined that Villagrana was the alleged shooter and that Cruz was driving the vehicle when the shooting occurred.
Cruz later cooperated with prosecutors and testified against Villagrana during a preliminary hearing in July.
Villagrana’s case remains separate from Cruz’s. He is scheduled to face a jury trial in early 2027.
The original investigation began after officers responded to a shooting near 1100 West and American Avenue on July 5, 2016. Gustin was found with a gunshot wound and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Cruz’s sentencing now brings one part of the decade-old case to a close, while the case against Villagrana continues.
