Alvaro Jose Urbina Rojas (57), a Utah man originally from Venezuela, is charged with first-degree felony murder in the death of his wife, Jeusselem Elieth Genes Vitola (43), after offering her a ride to work on February 26, 2026, in Saratoga Springs.
Timeline of Events
- ~10 a.m., Feb. 26: The couple (married 19 years, with an 11-year-old son and adult daughter) left home after dropping off their child; family expected Rojas to drive Vitola to work.
- That night: Family reports them missing when Vitola misses work and they don’t return—no prior police history or ICE concerns initially.
- Investigators track phones (hers off, his pinged in Draper, UT) and their gray 2005 Toyota Sequoia to Las Vegas (midday Feb. 26), then California purchases that night.
Discovery and Cause of Death
- March 2: Police search Rojas’ camp trailer in Draper storage (family tipped location); find Vitola’s bound body (zip-tie and rope on hands/body), his cellphone.
- Autopsy: Homicide by severe blunt force head trauma, possible asphyxiation.
Motive and Flight
- Couple faced year-long financial strain; Vitola recently sought divorce.
- Rojas grew jealous/suspicious, stalked her, checked messages; police suspect he tampered with her car to force the ride, creating a kill opportunity.
- Rojas remains at large (as of March 10), possibly in southern California—no family contact.
Saratoga Springs PD (Chief Andrew Burton) seeks him via federal help. A Venezuelan immigrant family’s hidden turmoil turned deadly—public tips critical for capture.
