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Police were called to the Gateway Inn on North Temple Tuesday morning and found 34-year-old Deborah Haudley's body. Her boyfriend, 34-year-old Oscar Reyes, told police the two were drinking the night before, and he woke up to find her dead.
Police initially thought Haudley's death wasn't suspicious and that it may have been the result of alcohol overdose. Then the medical examiner's office did a preliminary autopsy and found Haudley's death was the result of head trauma.
"They looked at the body and made a determination that this is suspicious," said Salt Lake City police Sgt. Robin Snyder.
Reyes told police Haudley then took a shower and laid on the bed and went to sleep. The next morning is when he woke up to find her dead next to him.
"After their interview with him, [detectives] determined that they had enough probable cause to book him on criminal homicide -- domestic-related because they are cohabitants," Synder said.
According to the probable cause statement, downstairs guests at the motel reported hearing yelling and fighting going on in the room above them on the night of June 14. They reported hearing thumping noises during the fight, indicating to police that the altercation between Haudley and Reyes was physical and violent.
Police say that Reyes' arrest is based on the initial report from the medical examiner's office, but his second-degree felony homicide charge could change once the final report is completed.
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Story compiled with contributions from Shara Park and Marc Giauque.
