A Utah man, Alan Covington, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for a racially motivated attack in 2018 at a local tire business in Salt Lake City. The Department of Justice has confirmed the sentencing.
Court documents reveal that Covington’s sentencing was delayed due to COVID-19 restrictions and mental health evaluations. During the five-day trial, it was established that Covington entered Lopez Tires, a family-owned business located at 1621 S Main Street, armed with a metal pole and hatchet on November 26, 2018. Upon entering, he approached three men and demanded to know their ethnicity.
One of the victims, Luis Lopez, vividly recalls the terrifying incident, explaining that Covington accused him of killing his daughters before asking about his Mexican heritage. While shouting that he wanted to “kill Mexicans,” Covington swung the metal pole at the business owner, his brother, and his teenage son. The attack resulted in severe facial injuries for Luis, including broken bones near his eye and a severe concussion.
Covington continued his assault, striking the father, Jose Lopez, multiple times. Fortunately, Jose’s brother managed to escape unharmed and promptly reported the incident to the police. Covington was apprehended near the tire shop with a metal pole and a hatchet in his possession.
Luis Lopez, one of the victims, still feels the impact of the attack, expressing ongoing paranoia and fear when leaving his home. Meanwhile, prosecutors revealed that Covington had confronted others at a nearby business three days earlier, although he left before escalating the situation.
U.S. Attorney Trina A. Higgins for the District of Utah described the incident as a “horrific act of hate-motivated violence,” emphasizing that there is no place for such actions in society. She expressed her hope that with Covington behind bars, the victims and their families can find peace and heal from this unspeakable act of hate.
The case was investigated by the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office in cooperation with the Salt Lake City Police Department.
