Man arrested on suspicion of killing mother


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TOOELE — Police arrested a man Friday who they say killed his mother in her Tooele home. The woman had obtained a protective warrant against that son two years ago.

Jesus "Jesse" Eldon Aragon, 44, was arrested for investigation of murder in the death of his mother, Marcella Viola Aragon, 66. He was also booked into the Tooele County Jail for investigation of trespassing and resisting arrest.

About 6:30 a.m., a family member called 911 to report "suspicious circumstances" and asked police to check on Marcella Aragon, said Tooele police spokeswoman Tanya Turnbow.

"They were concerned for her welfare," she said.

Turnbow did not have details Friday about why family members were concerned for her welfare or if there had been a prior history of trouble between the mother and son, who apparently had lived on and off with her.

When police arrived at Marcella's home, 245 E. 600 North in Tooele, they spotted Jesus Aragon inside the house, Turnbow said. He came outside and officers began talking to him as other officers went inside. Once inside, they found the woman's body.

"They attempt to take him into custody, he resists arrest," Turnbow said.

Officers were eventually able to overpower Aragon and arrest him.

Turnbow said inside the house there were "obvious signs of struggle" and "obvious injuries" to Marcella Aragon, but an exact cause of death was undetermined. Her body was taken to the Utah State Medical Examiner's Office for an autopsy.

Jesus Aragon has a lengthy criminal history dating back to 1994 that includes convictions on drug-related charges, assaulting a police officer, interfering with arrests and breaking into his mother's home, according to state court records.

Marcella Aragon filed for a protective order against her son in 2014, court records state.

Also that year, Jesus Aragon was charged with burglary, vandalism, trespassing and failing to stop at an officer's commands for breaking into the same house, according to charging documents. During that incident, Tooele police sent a robot inside the house to find Aragon. Police say he dumped water on the robot in an apparent attempt to disable it.

He later fell through the ceiling while trying to hide in the attic, according to the charges. After officers entered and deployed pepper balls to get him to surrender, they found him fully clothed in a bathtub full of running water.

As part of that case, a competency evaluation was ordered and a judge determined on Dec. 16, 2014, that Aragon was not competent to stand trial, according to court records. Another competency hearing was scheduled to be held in January, at which time Aragon entered into a plea bargain. He was sentenced to time already served while at the Utah State Hospital.

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