Woman found dead in mobile home had been missing since Friday, family says


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WEST VALLEY CITY — The children of Noelia Popoca, who was found dead in a mobile home Sunday, say they knew as early as Friday something was wrong.

The bodies of Popoca, 39, of Salt Lake City, and a man whose identity had not been released as of Monday were found Sunday in a trailer at the Mountain View Mobile Home Park, 2649 W. 2680 South. Police believe their deaths were the result of a murder-suicide.

West Valley police spokeswoman Roxanne Vainuku said detectives do not believe a gun was used, but declined to release additional information about why detectives believed it was a case of murder-suicide or if there were any obvious signs of trauma found on either body.

"From the initial indications, whatever evidence was in that room, it appeared to be a murder-suicide," Vainuku said.

But Damian Bautista Popoca, 21, and Dulce Bautista Popoca, two of Noelia Popoca's children, said they knew something was wrong when their mother failed to come home Friday.

Not only did she not come home to take care of her youngest daughter, 11, and get her ready for school, or go to work that day, but Noelia Popoca didn't call Dulce Popoca, who celebrated her 19th birthday Friday.

"You knew automatically something was wrong with her," she said.

Damian and Dulce Popoca went searching for their mother and found her car parked at the mobile home park. They say they were familiar with the man who was later found dead inside the home, but declined Monday to reveal his identity or give many details about him. They said they didn't know why their mother was there.

The brother and sister contacted West Valley police Friday to do a welfare check on their mother. Officers arrived at the mobile home and knocked on the door, but no one answered. They looked in the windows and didn't see anything unusual.

(Photo: Alan Neves/KSL-TV)
(Photo: Alan Neves/KSL-TV)

Vainuku said because there was no evidence that a crime had been committed, there was nothing more officers could do at that point.

Damian and Dulce Popoca said they went back to the trailer home every three hours looking for any possible clues. They also contacted Salt Lake police on Saturday and officially had their mother listed as a "missing person."

Just after 8 a.m. Sunday, after once again checking the mobile home, Damian Popoca said another man finally answered the door. He was unaware that there were two dead bodies inside one of the rooms, Damian Popoca said.

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Damian Popoca checked the man's room, where the bodies of both his mother and the man were found, and called police.

The relationship between the man and Noelia Popoca was not clear as of Monday, according to police. But it appeared the two had known each other for some time, Vainuku said. Neither of them owned the trailer they were found in, she said. It was believed that the man may have been living there.

Police knew the identity of the man Monday, but were having trouble locating next of kin to notify them before releasing his name publicly.

Vainuku said she could not say what other evidence was found inside the trailer or what condition police found it in. Two vehicles, each with ties to one or both of the deceased individuals, were seized. Investigators were expected to obtain search warrants to go through both to look for additional evidence.


It's nothing you could ever get over because that's your mom. That's the lady that gave you your life every day. You run to her with your problems. That's your everything because it's your mother.

–Dulce Popoca, daughter


Autopsies on both victims were also scheduled for Monday. As of 3:30 p.m., Vainuku said initial results had not been returned.

On Facebook, many people offered their condolences to Noelia Popoca's family. Most of the tributes were written in Spanish.

"I know she's in a better place and we've got to be strong," Damian Popoca said Monday.

"It's nothing you could ever get over because that's your mom. That's the lady that gave you your life every day. You run to her with your problems. That's your everything because it's your mother," said Dulce Popoca, who noted that her mother took on both the mother and father role in raising her children.

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