Teen charged as adult in Utah deputies' shootings

PROVO - A teenage girl charged with aggravated murder was as culpable as her boyfriend, who was shot and killed by authorities, in a cross-county crime spree that left one deputy dead and another wounded, a prosecutor said Wednesday.

Meagan Grunwald, 17, was charged as an adult after a careful review of dashboard camera videos from patrol cars and other evidence from the Jan. 30 pursuit, Utah County Attorney Tim Taylor said during a news conference in Spanish Fork.

Grunwald wasn't the shooter but was the driver during the pursuit and also helped pull off a carjacking, he said.

"She was not just along for the ride," Taylor said. "She was an active participant in the crime."

Taylor corrected previous reports by saying that Grunwald was not pregnant with the child of Jose Angel Garcia-Juaregui, 27, who was killed by authorities. Charging documents filed Tuesday showed that detectives were told she was pregnant and the couple planned to marry and move to Mexico when she turned 18.

A pregnancy test done at the jail came back negative, Taylor said, adding that he couldn't account for the misinformation given by people interviewed.

Garcia-Juaregui killed Utah County sheriff's Sgt. Cory Wride and wounded Deputy Greg Sherwood, authorities said. Sherwood was released from the hospital Tuesday but faces a long recovery.

Taylor said the motive for the crime spree remains unclear but might have been related to an arrest warrant issued a day earlier for Garcia-Juaregui that alleged violations of his parole conditions. He had served 4 1/2 years for attempted homicide and was paroled from a Utah prison in December 2012.

Grunwald met Garcia-Juaregui in July 2013 and began spending most of her time with him, pulling away from old friends, court records show. The two were living together for several months at her mother's house.

Grunwald is being held on $1 million cash-only bail and could face 25 years to life in prison if convicted. Taylor said she will not face the death penalty because she is under 18.

The counts against her include obstructing justice, aggravated robbery and use of a controlled substance. Urine tests revealed Grunwald had methamphetamine in her system, court documents show.

All the charges come under state statutes that make aiding and abetting a crime nearly as serious as committing it, Taylor said.

Her age was taken under consideration, but she needs to be held accountable, Taylor said. "We know that she's 17 and that she's young," Taylor said, "But we believe she is as culpable, under Utah law, as he is."