Two juveniles taken into custody following an Oct. 15 shooting outside a Holladay apartment complex will be tried as adults for the murder of a 26-year-old man. The suspects have been identified as 17-year-old Drake Preston Hernandez and 16-year-old Umda Woye Dike.
The victim, identified by family members as Demajhio Smith, was found by Unified Police lying on a curb near his head with a blood trail. An autopsy confirmed Smith was shot at close range in the top of the head, possibly while seated on the steps near where he was found. A single crumpled-up dollar bill was located in Smith's left hand.
According to court documents, Unified Police were initially dispatched to the complex at 4822 S. Highland Circle at 8:36 p.m. but found nothing suspicious. A second call at 10:47 p.m. reported a man down. An apartment resident, identified as T.C., reported hearing an argument between two male voices before hearing one loud gunshot.
Surveillance footage from a Jiffy Lube showed Smith walking on a sidewalk while Hernandez and Dike were on the opposite side of the street. The footage showed no interaction between Smith and the two men, noting that Smith was following behind at a distance. However, video from an apartment window showed two individuals, consistent with Hernandez and Dike, running away from the area where Smith was located as a gunshot was heard.
Hernandez and Dike both have histories of gang involvement, though the indictment states they have no documented gang membership. Hernandez was previously convicted of robbery and possession of a firearm and was on probation at the time of the incident. Dike was also on probation following a robbery conviction.
Smith's family stated that the victim had been diagnosed with ADHD and an intellectual delay at age 8 and experienced extreme social anxiety.
