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SALT LAKE CITY — A 19-year-old man charged this week in a series of aggravated robberies is now being held for investigation of a 2017 homicide at the Kearns Recreation Center.
Unified police announced on Friday that Carson Michael Lee O’Dell, 19, was arrested for investigation of criminal homicide and aggravated robbery for the Oct. 23, 2017, shooting death of 20-year-old Joshua Belen.
On that day, the body of Belen, who was homeless, was found on the northwest parking lot of the Olympic Oval after neighbors reported hearing gunshots. Belen was allegedly selling a small amount of marijuana when the drug deal went bad.
According to a Salt Lake County Jail booking affidavit, detectives “developed information that Carson O’Dell was involved in this incident.”
Details about what information was developed was not released Friday.
On Thursday, police interviewed O’Dell, who said that he “and several associates arranged to meet with Belen. Belen was selling marijuana on social media. Carson and his associates planned on robbing Belen for the marijuana,” the affidavit states.
But when O’Dell and his group confronted Belen, he “pulled out a firearm. Carson pulled out his own firearm and told Belen to drop the pistol. Belen did not drop his pistol. Carson shot Belen and watched Belen collapse on the ground,” the affidavit states.
Police were able to interview O’Dell after he was arrested and booked into the Salt Lake County Jail for charges that were filed against him on Wednesday.
O’Dell was charged along with two others with aggravated robbery, a first-degree felony, and aggravated assault, a second-degree felony. While Unified police say he is from West Jordan, charging documents list him as being from Tooele.
Prosecutors say O’Dell, a documented gang member, participated in a violent robbery in a McDonald’s parking lot on Aug. 23 in Magna, and beat a man with a bat on Nov. 25.
