Murder victim, mother of AMBER Alert subjects, stabbed in neck before found in house fire

RIVERDALE, Utah (KUTV) — Court documents filed in the arrest of a 29-year-old man at the center of a murder investigation and an arson investigation brought details of the case to light following his apprehension thanks to an AMBER Alert tipster.

Ricardo Trujillo-Rojel was was found with his two toddler-aged children in Utah County's Hobble Creek Canyon, more than 90 miles away from where the children's mother had been discovered dead earlier Monday as crews responded to a burning home in Weber County.

According to a probable cause statement filed in Utah's 2nd District Court, crews on Monday were dispatched to the Riverdale Manufactured Home Community just after 2:45 p.m., where a fire was reported at one of the units.

"When officers arrived, the front door of the (home) was ajar, and the officer called into the (home) to see if anyone was inside," according to the report from an arresting Riverdale Police Department officer. "The (home) was filled with smoke and the responding officer saw a female laying on the ground near the doorway. The female victim had severe burn marks on her body."

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The affidavit states the officer pulled the woman to the front porch, where he saw the woman had a puncture wound on her neck.

The officer didn't specify whether it's believed the victim died from the puncture wound or from the fire. It also wasn't specified if the puncture wound appeared intentional or if any items were found at the scene that could have caused the wound.

The victim was pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators determined the fire itself had been deliberately set, and a gas can was reportedly found inside the residence.

The victim and her children, along with the children's father, Trujillo-Rojel, were in the process of moving out that day, according to court documents. When authorities were unable to find Trujillo-Rojel or the children, the AMBER Alert was issued.

Moments after the alert was issued, police received a tip from a person in Spanish Fork, where Trujillo-Rojel's truck had been located using a license plate reader. The tipster stated an adult man with two young children was seen walking in the area of the truck.

Area law enforcement responded to the area and located the suspect. When officers attempted to take him into custody, Trujillo-Rojel reportedly resisted arrest and assaulted an officer.

Court documents indicate Trujillo-Rojel has a history of domestic violence.

The victim's identity has not been released, and it hasn't been confirmed whether she was the victim in a previous domestic violence case involving Trujillo-Rojel's pregnant girlfriend in 2021.

Trujillo-Rojel was booked into the Weber County Jail on suspicion of aggravated murder and aggravated arson.

Additional information was expected from authorities in Utah County sometime Tuesday.

Matthew Jacobson reported from Salt Lake City

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