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WEST BOUNTIFUL, Utah (ABC4) — The suspect in Friday morning’s homicide in West Bountiful allegedly tracked his soon-to-be-ex-wife via her car, according to West Bountiful Police.
Jake Thomas Jackson, 31, was arrested on charges of murder (first-degree felony), aggravated assault (third-degree felony), threat/use of a dangerous weapon (class-A misdemeanor), unlawful installation of a tracking device (class-A misdemeanor), assault (class-B misdemeanor), and criminal mischief (class-B misdemeanor).
On Nov. 3, shortly after 5 a.m., police received reports about a shooting at a Lowe’s parking lot, located at 350 North 545 West, West Bountiful.
Police confirmed that a man, identified as Zachary Todd Carson, had been shot multiple times and declared deceased at the scene.
After locating Jackson’s wife, who was reportedly in the process of getting divorced, police took her and her vehicle to the Bountiful Police Department for further investigation. She told officers that she had been separated from Jackson for around a year and that she was with Carson at the time, who was helping her with her divorce paperwork.
Police learned that Carson had gone to the Lowe’s parking lot at around 5 a.m. to drop Jackson’s wife off at her car. While there, the woman saw Jackson walking from across the parking lot, the affidavit states.
An argument reportedly ensued regarding Jackson’s wife being with Carson, and Jackson pulled out a handgun, the affidavit states. The woman tried to get in between the two men, but Jackson “grabbed her and pushed her against her vehicle,” the affidavit states.
Carson allegedly told Jackson not to treat her that way, and Jackson then shot Carson. Carson then fell toward the driver’s seat of his car, and Jackson shot him multiple times, the affidavit states.
Jackson’s wife allegedly then left the scene in her car as Jackson pounded on the passenger side door.
Jackson’s wife told police she believed Jackson may have put a tracking device on her vehicle, as his truck was allegedly parked in the parking lot before her arrival that morning. She told police that “if he had been tracking her phone, he would’ve gone to Zachary’s address, and not waited in the parking lot where her vehicle was at,” the affidavit states.
Police confirmed that a tracking device was found on the woman’s car.
Officers were able to locate Jackson in the Moab area via his cellphone around four to five hours after the shooting had occurred.
Police attempted to arrest Jackson, and Jackson barricaded himself inside his vehicle. A standoff ensued, and SWAT responded to the scene.
The affidavit states that SWAT used “less lethal chemical munitions” and “at least one less-lethal impact round” in order to take Jackson into custody.
Jackson was booked into the Davis County Jail on the charges previously stated.