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OREM — An Orem man strangled his girlfriend to death Saturday, took several shots of alcohol and then called 911 to confess, police say.
Daniel Padilla-Ang was booked into Utah County Jail on suspicion of first-degree murder.
On Saturday, Orem police were sent to a basement apartment near 808 S. 750 West after dispatchers received a request for medical attention. Padilla had told dispatchers that he had strangled his girlfriend to death and that since they had been drinking he needed to be taken in, according to a probable cause statement.
When officers arrived they located Padilla facing away, kneeling with his hands on his head. There appeared to be blood on his hands, police said. Officers located the woman in the bedroom unconscious and not breathing.
The woman had significant injuries to her face, which was swollen and covered in blood, police said. Officers began life-saving measures on the woman before Orem emergency medical services arrived. The woman was unable to be revived and was pronounced dead, according to the probable cause statement.
When officers interviewed the man, he identified himself as Daniel Padilla and revealed that he had been dating the woman for about fourth months. He added that she had come over earlier in the day before they began drinking that night, the statement said.
At some point in the night, an altercation occurred between the two when a vape cartridge was broken when Padilla grabbed it from the woman, according to police documents. The woman then allegedly hit and pushed Padilla who then grabbed her neck with his right hand and began to choke her, police said.
She fell to the ground and Padilla then began to punch her, before choking her with both hands while telling her to "die, (expletive)," according to the probable cause statement. When the woman was no longer moving Padilla then checked if she was dead by holding "his hand over her mouth and pinching her nose to see if she would gasp for air," the statement added.
When she didn't respond, Padilla then took several shots of alcohol and texted two family members telling them "that he had just killed someone and that he wouldn't be seeing them for a while," the statement said. Padilla then called 911 to report the incident.
Padilla has been arrested on two other incidents of domestic violence assault-related crimes. He was on probation for the previous incidents and told police that he had just finished his counseling services, according to the probable cause statement.
The woman's identity was not released.
