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WASHINGTON, Washington County — A 17-year-old boy was charged Wednesday as an adult with aggravated murder in the weekend shooting death of a man inside his southern Utah apartment.
Simeon Gail Calnimptewa, of Washington, is charged in 5th District Court with aggravated murder, aggravated robbery, aggravated burglary and three counts of firing a gun causing serious injury, all first-degree felonies; plus aggravated assault, two counts of possession of a gun by a restricted person, and two counts of possession of a handgun by a minor, third-degree felonies.
Just before 2 a.m. Sunday, Washington police were called to 20 N. Red Trail Lane on a report that a male had been shot multiple times inside an apartment. Officers arrived to find Bransen Bryels-Nechanicky on the floor. He was taken to a local hospital where he later died from his injuries.
A woman who was with Bryels-Nechanicky told police they had returned to their apartment about 1:45 a.m. and found "several of their belongings to be in a pile in the living room which had not been there previously when they left," according to charging documents. Just a short time later, "an unknown male wearing a dark-colored hoodie and ski mask exited one of the bedrooms of their apartment."
Calnimptewa, who was later determined to be wearing the ski mask, brandished a gun at Bryels-Nechanicky and the woman, police say. That prompted Bryels-Nechanicky to "charge at this unknown intruder and a physical altercation ensued … during this altercation, the intruder would proceed to discharge his firearm three times, striking (Bryels-Nechanicky)," the charges state.
After shooting Bryels-Nechanicky, Calnimptewa pointed the gun at the woman and ordered her to open the door, according to police.
"The suspect proceeded to grab a jar of money which had been sitting on the counter of the apartment before fleeing the scene," according to the charges.
Detectives canvassing the apartment complex found doorbell security video that recorded the suspected intruder leaving the apartment "without a mask on and with the reported jar of money. Looking at the suspect's unmasked face, officers were able to recognize this male suspect as a Simeon Calnimptewa," the charges state.
Police say they have had prior dealings with Calnimptewa, who lives in the same complex as the victim.
Just before 7 a.m. Sunday, officers went to Calnimptewa's apartment where they found him asleep inside and arrested him. While searching his apartment, detectives recovered two handguns, the stolen jar of money, and a hoodie, mask and gloves with blood on them, according to the charging documents.
