Ogden police arrest two men following drive-by shootings, robbery

OGDEN — Two known gang members police believe were involved in a couple of drive-by shootings and an aggravated robbery were booked into jail Sunday.

Emanuel Carranza, 21, and Ezgar Valenciano, 19, were at a birthday party Saturday when witnesses say the men found two guns in the closet of a house on the 800 block of 23rd Street.

Ogden police say Carranza and Valenciano took the guns and demanded one party guest take off a football jersey with the number 18 on it, which police believe the suspects associated with the 18 Street gang, said Ogden Police Lt. Shawn Hamblin.

One of the two suspects punched another party guest, and both then fled the scene, police said. They were booked into Weber County Jail for investigation of aggravated burglary, aggravated robbery, aggravated assault and theft of a firearm.

The Ogden Metro Gang Unit is investigating whether Valenciano and Carranza were involved with a drive-by shooting at the same house on 23rd Street just before 6 a.m. Sunday and another shooting about 30 minutes later at a house on the 300 block of 32nd Street, Hamblin said.

Although no connection has been made, the gang unit also is investigating whether the two men were involved with a shooting Saturday night. Police received a call of shots fired at West Ogden Park, 2445 E Avenue, at 10:49 p.m. but found no sign of shots fired.

A 26-year-old man walked into McKay Dee Hospital a short while later with a gunshot wound to the hand, saying two Hispanic men had approached him at the park and one had shot him in the hand. The victim said he fled and flagged down a car to head to the hospital.

"We have no proof the shooting is connected, but the timing of events is interesting," Hamblin said. "They may be related, and the gang unit is investigating."

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