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SALT LAKE CITY — Criminal charges have been filed against a man accused of tracking down his wife, shooting at the person she was with and then shooting her twice.
Charles James Coprich, 58, of West Jordan, was charged Thursday in 3rd District Court with stalking and two counts of shooting a gun causing injury, second-degree felonies; two additional shooting charges, third-degree felonies; and assault, a class B misdemeanor.
On Aug. 18, about 12:25 a.m., a man was inside a car with Coprich's wife near 600 W. South Temple. When the man got out of the car, he turned around to see Coprich walking toward him with a gun, and then firing two or three times, according to charging documents. The man was not injured.
Coprich's wife later told police after her husband fired at the man, he "drug her out of the car and started 'hitting her and slugging her in the head.' Coprich then shot her while she was in the driver's seat of the car. Medical records show (she) suffered two gunshot wounds to her right and left upper back," the charges state.
Coprich put his wife back into the car, got into the driver's seat and allegedly started driving to the hospital. An officer spotted his car near 400 S. 900 West. Officers, with the assistance of Utah Highway Patrol troopers, took Coprich into custody near 3400 S. State Street.
The wife told police that her husband "has anger issues, and he has made her take pictures of where she is at and send them to him. (She) expressed that it was 'too much' and she 'can't be followed like that,'" according to the charges.
When detectives questioned Coprich, he "admitted he uses a tracking app to find (his wife) and she doesn't know he has the ability to track her," the charges state.
Prosecutors have requested that Coprich remain in the Salt Lake County Jail without bail pending trial.
Domestic violence resources
Help for people in abusive relationships can be found by contacting:
- Utah Domestic Violence Coalition: Utah's confidential statewide, 24-hour domestic violence hotline at 1-800-897-LINK (5465)
- YWCA Women in Jeopardy program: 801-537-8600
- Utah's statewide child abuse and neglect hotline: 1-855-323-DCFS (3237)
- National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233
