LOGAN — A 31-year-old Logan man has admitted to bursting into a home before being shot by the homeowner during a burglary in 2023. Julio Dalton Lopez accepted a plea deal last month that may keep him from a prison sentence.
Lopez appeared Oct. 28 in Logan’s 1st District Court. He pleaded guilty to aggravated assault, amended to a third-degree felony.
According to prosecutors, Logan City Police officers responded to a home after multiple 911 calls about a reported gunshot early on the morning of April 22, 2023. One of the callers, the homeowner, stated three individuals entered his residence and he had shot one of them with a 9mm handgun.
When officers arrived at the house, near 280 Bridger Drive, they found Lopez lying in the driveway with a gunshot wound to the abdomen. Paramedics transported him to Logan Regional Hospital, where he made comments about knowing the homeowner and “taking care of business,” law enforcement reported.
Doctors later transferred Lopez by helicopter to McKay Dee Hospital in Ogden, where he was receiving further advanced treatment.
The homeowner told police how he heard knocking at his door around 2:15 a.m. When he opened the door, he was attacked and struck in the face multiple times.
The homeowner claimed that he was able to wrestle himself away from the attackers and run upstairs to retrieve the handgun. He then shot Lopez, dragged him outside, locked the door, and called 911.
A month after the burglary, officers arrested one of the other individuals involved, 23-year-old Juan Carlos Miranda. He later pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 30 days in jail along with 24 months probation.
According to court records, Lopez has several convictions for possession or use of a controlled substance. The cases go back to 2013.
Lopez is currently out of jail after posting $20,000 bail. He is scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 9, and could face a maximum of five years in prison.