Ricardo Trujillo Rojel, 29, was arrested Monday evening. Formal charges had not been filed as of Tuesday evening.

An affidavit of probable cause states that authorities were summoned to a trailer home near 5100 S. 1050 West in Riverdale around 2:46 p.m. Monday for a fire.

“When officers arrived, the front door of the trailer was ajar, and the officer called into the trailer to see if anyone was inside,” the affidavit states. “The trailer 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. The officer pulled the female out of the trailer and onto the porch. When the officer moved the victim, he observed a puncture wound to her neck which appeared to be from a sharp object, and it was determined the death was a homicide. Investigators responded and found the fire was caused by an accelerant and a gas can was located inside of the trailer. Inside the residence there was a pair of blue jeans found with blood on them.”

The affidavit notes that the alleged victim was supposed to be moving out of the trailer that day with Rojel and their two children, ages 2 and 3.

“Officers spoke with a next-door neighbor, and she advised that she saw the victim and her boyfriend on the porch in the morning,” the affidavit said. “Another neighbor stated she heard a female scream sometime before officers arrived at the structure fire. The victim’s mother stated she was with her daughter at a bank at approximately 1200 hours and while at the bank the suspect Ricardo Trujillo Rojel called the victim and told her to come back home. The victim’s mother stated that the victim drove back home after the phone call with Ricardo. The mother did not speak to the victim again.”

Shortly after 5 p.m. Monday, an Amber Alert was broadcast — at the time identifying Rojel as “Ricardo Rojel Trujillo” — asking for the public’s help in locating him and their two children.

According to a press release from the Utah County Sheriff’s Office, a tip was received later Monday that placed Rojel in the Springville area.

“Last evening at 1930 hours our Deputies received a call of a White F150 that was ¼ mile up the Left Fork of Hobble Creek Canyon that appeared to be disabled,” the release said. “The vehicle matched the description of the suspect vehicle in an Amber Alert from earlier on Monday, 03/24/25. An adult male and two children were seen walking away from the truck heading up the Left Fork of Hobble Creek Canyon.”

The Utah County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Springville Police Department in apprehending Rojel in an arrest; the affidavit alleges the suspect attempted to resist.

“Local police agencies located Ricardo and took him into custody after he resisted arrest and assaulted an officer,” the affidavit said. “Blood was found inside Ricardo’s vehicle. Ricardo was the last person known to be with the victim on this date. Ricardo turned his phone off and left in 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. Ricardo was uncooperative with law enforcement when being taken into custody and he would not speak. Ricardo continued to physically resist deputies at Weber County Jail, and he was uncooperative with CSI and a blood technician when he was served with warrants. Ricardo’s behavior on this date was indicative of recent criminal conduct and his behavior exhibited signs as if he was trying to flee and destroy evidence.”

The two children were unharmed in the incident.

Rojel has been booked into the Weber County Jail. He was arrested previously on suspicion of domestic violence earlier this year.

The Standard-Examiner reached out to the Riverdale Police Department for further comment and to inquire if the victim has been identified but received no response.