When a beloved Venezuelan couple vanished from their Utah community last week, many of their loved ones feared that they had been detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Then, police found a body.
Jeusselem Elieth Genes Vitola, 43, was found dead inside her husband’s camp trailer at a storage facility in Draper, Utah, on Tuesday, the Saratoga Springs Police Department announced on Facebook this week.
Alvaro Jose Urbina Rojas, 57, is now considered a person of interest in her death and is believed to be in California after fleeing Utah, police said. The case is being investigated in coordination with the Draper Police Department, the FBI, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and U.S. Border Patrol.
The couple, who immigrated to Utah from Venezuela about a decade ago, is well known in the state’s Venezuelan community and had recently celebrated the opening of their food truck, Rica Arepa, in Midvale, according to KSL.
The search for the couple began on February 26 after Genes Vitola failed to show up for work. Her husband had left home around 10:15 a.m. to drive her to work, but she never made it.
That same night, family members requested a welfare check, according to Police Chief Andrew Burton who gave an update on Monday.
Burton said that the couple’s relatives initially did not believe they were in danger. The couple, who had been married for 19 years, had no history of domestic violence or serious medical issues, Burton said. He added there had been “some talk about divorce.”
Family members were, however, concerned that the couple may have been detained by ICE. A police check ruled out the possibility, Burton confirmed.
Body found in locked trailer
Jeusselem Elieth Genes Vitola’s body was found on Monday by authorities who were executing a search warrant at Urbina Rojas’ camp trailer at a Draper storage facility.
“The trailer was then processed as a crime scene, and the Medical Examiner’s office was notified,” Burton said. “An autopsy was completed today, and full results of that autopsy are still pending.”
Family members claimed that they had attempted to search the same trailer on Saturday but “did not locate either party, finding the trailer locked,” police said.
Following the discovery of Genes Vitola’s body, the case was immediately reclassified as a homicide investigation.
Husband believed to be in California
Investigators say Urbina Rojas’ vehicle, a 2005 gray Toyota Sequoia, was captured on vehicle cameras in Cedar City, St. George and Las Vegas on the day the couple went missing, though footage did not reveal who was inside.
“Use of credit cards and other purchases also showed up late in the evening that Thursday night in California,” Burton said. The car was last seen on camera in Southern California on Monday.
“We are alerting local authorities in California,” Burton said, adding that detectives are working to determine whether Urbina Rojas has associates or contacts there.
Burton emphasized that Border Patrol has no record of the car crossing into Mexico and believes Urbina Rojas is still in California.
‘Things looked very normal’
Members of Utah’s Venezuelan community say the couple appeared happy just two weeks ago when they held the grand opening of their food truck.
“Things looked very normal,” Fernando Colmenares told KSL in Spanish. He added that the community is devastated. “Though we only met them briefly, they looked happy and we were all really happy for them, to see their progress as Venezuelans.”
Colmenares added that his heart is with the couple’s two children.
How to help
Urbina Rojas is described as 5’9” tall, 193 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes.
His vehicle is described as a 2005 gray Toyota Sequoia with Utah license plate T409YB (Utah Arches style plate).
Police say they do not believe he has left the country and are asking for the public’s help in locating him.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Llorens at the Saratoga Springs Police Department (SSPD case 26SS02396) at 801-766-6503 or 801-798-5600.
