Sentenced for the Murder of Alonso Garcia-Mendoza

Today, a Third District Court judge sentenced Jonathan Montrail Johnson to 36 years to life in the Utah State Correctional Facility for the March 9, 2021, murder of Alonso Garcia-Mendoza.

The judge sentenced Mr. Johnson to 15 years to life for first-degree felony murder, five years to life for each of the three counts of first-degree felony discharge of a firearm, five years to life for first-degree felony aggravated robbery, 3 to 15 years for each of the two counts of second-degree felony discharge of a firearm, and three to five years for each of the six counts of third-degree felony discharge of a firearm.

In May 2023, one of Mr. Johnson’s co-defendants, Shihab Wesaga, was also convicted for his involvement in the robbery and shooting. In July 2023, a judge sentenced Mr. Wesaga to multiple consecutive prison terms.

"The judge sent a strong message when she sentenced Mr. Johnson to at least 36 years in prison for the violent act that killed Mr. Garcia-Mendoza and sent another man to the hospital with collapsed lungs. Gun violence not only affects the victim and their loved ones, but it affects our entire community. This sentence cannot bring the victim back, but it can help deliver some measure of justice for his loved ones and our community,” said Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill. “I would like to thank our prosecutors, Rick Pehrson, Morgan Vedejs, and our support staff for their dedication and hard work on this case. We are grateful to our partners at Unified Police for their years of work on this case.”