Latest news with #Rojel
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Yahoo
Suspect in AMBER Alert murder case makes second court appearance
Charges are allegations only. All arrested persons are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. OGDEN, Utah () — The suspect who was apprehended after an AMBER Alert last Monday made his second court appearance on April 2. Ricardo Trujillo Rojel, 29, is accused of aggravated murder and aggravated arson after attacking a mother, setting the trailer on fire, and fleeing with her two children. Ricardo Trujillo Rojel appeared in today, where defense attorneys discussed setting a preliminary hearing for his case. Rojel is accused of murdering Mayra Catalan-Dimas, 23, who was found dead in a burning Riverdale trailer on March 24. According to arrest documents, she was found with a . Judge Cristina Ortega spoke with Stephanie Pitcher, Rojel's attorney, about his previous misdemeanor case involving property damage. After a discussion with Rojel through an interpreter, Pitcher agreed to withdraw from that case and it will now be handled by the same attorneys defending his felony murder case. The preliminary hearing date for the felony murder case has been set for May 12 at 9 a.m. PREVIOUSLY: Mother of AMBER Alert children found dead with neck wound in burning house, docs say The prosecutors — Nicholas Caine and Derek Malan — then clarified an order that was signed last Friday. The order reads, 'Any defense investigator, mitigation specialist, or expert witness for Defense is allowed to contact the alleged victim's family members.' They clarified that this order did not require the family members to speak with investigators for the defense, and family members would have the right to refuse. Prosecutors also requested that the juvenile in the family not be contacted. On Monday, March 24, an AMBER Alert went out, reporting that and had been abducted by a 'possible homicide and arson suspect.' The described the suspect and asked the public for help. Later that evening, a caller reported seeing a truck matching the description of the suspect vehicle in Hobble Creek Canyon, and Utah County Sheriff's Office deputies responded. Rojel was taken into custody, and the two children were safely recovered. READ NEXT: Nurse arrested after allegedly assaulting dementia patient The next day, two felony against Rojel: Aggravated murder and aggravated arson. After an interview at the , Rojel reportedly told investigators that he had been in an 'altercation' with the mother, which had led to him harming her, setting fire to the trailer, and fleeing with the two children. 'The defendant further admitted that he stabbed [the victim] and threw the knife out of the window while he was driving south on the freeway,' charging documents read. Rojel will appear in court on May 12 at 9 a.m. for his preliminary hearing. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Yahoo
Mother of AMBER Alert children found dead with neck wound in burning house, docs say
Support for victims and survivors of domestic violence is available 24/7: 1-800-897-LINK (5465). If you or someone else is in immediate danger, or in an emergency, please call 911 immediately. RIVERDALE, Utah () — The mother of the two children that were the was reportedly found with a puncture wound in her neck after her house was set on fire. This is according to new court documents following the arrest of the children's father, Ricardo Trujillo Rojel, 29, on first-degree felony charges of aggravated murder and aggravated arson. Police responded to the structure fire near 5100 South and 1000 West shortly before 3 p.m. on March 24. Upon arriving, officers found the victim with severe burns and a puncture wound to her neck. Investigators ruled her cause of death a homicide and found the fire had been started using an accelerant. Cows struck after wandering onto I-15 in Utah County Witnesses say Rojel, the victim and their children were set to move out of the home that day. One neighbor allegedly heard a woman scream sometime before officers arrived for the structure fire. Shortly after, when Rojel and the two children could not be found, the AMBER Alert was issued. Rojel's truck was later found a quarter-mile up from Hobble Creek Canyon and witnesses reported seeing an adult male walking away from the truck with two children. Local police agencies located Rojel, who allegedly resisted arrest and assaulted an officer. He was eventually safely taken into custody and booked into the Weber County Jail. '[Rojel] was the last person known to be with the victim on this date,' court documents read. '[He] turned off his phone and left his vehicle with his two young children to an area that was over an hour away from home when he was supposed to be moving to Roy with the victim.' Police said Rojel was uncooperative with law enforcement and would not speak. Rojel allegedly has a history with the victim involving domestic violence, including an arrest in January for multiple domestic violence charges. Rojel has been ordered to be held without bail, pending a pretrial hearing. The two children were safely recovered and taken into custody by the Department of Child and Family Services at the Utah County Sheriff's Office. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
