Tooele real estate agent charged with murdering girlfriend; friends say she was an 'amazing mom'

TOOELE, Utah — A Tooele man is facing murder charges in connection with the death of his girlfriend, a woman friends describe as a loving mother, talented nail artist and rising professional in the local community.

On Wednesday, Daniel Ruesga, 37, was charged with one count of murder, one count of felony discharge of a firearm with serious bodily injury, three counts of domestic violence in the presence of a child — criminal homicide, and one count of unlawful discharge of a dangerous weapon within 600 feet of a building, all subject to enhanced penalties.

According to a probable cause statement, after being read his Miranda rights, Ruesga confessed to crashing his truck into a white Tesla in the garage of a home near 640 E Kings Landing Rd. in Tooele and shooting Silvia Bahena multiple times late Monday. Friends said the home was Bahena's and the Tesla was her car.

Bahena's four children were inside the home at the time of the shooting and heard the incident, later finding their mother deceased, according to Tooele police.

Friends said Bahena was well known in the Tooele community, particularly through her work as a nail artist. She also started working as a mortgage loan officer within the last year.

"She was such a hard worker. She came with so many contacts," said Debbie Castagno, a friend and co-worker of Bahena who met her through Ruesga about a year ago.

Castagno is also a loan officer.

"When Silvia wanted to get her license, Daniel recommended her to come to me," Castagno said. "It almost makes me angry to say this. She was always so respectful to him and about him."

Ruesga is a real estate agent in Tooele and is listed as an ambassador for the Tooele Chamber of Commerce.

Castagno said Bahena was talented, hardworking and devoted to her family.

"I can't put it into words. It's so unfair because of how it has affected her family, her children. She was an amazing mom, and her kids were her life," said Debbie Castagno. "Ultimately, they don't have their mom…and this is going to affect them for the rest of their lives. And it was because of some crazy thing that happened… I can't fathom why."

A yearslong friendship

Ginger Mix first met Bahena through a nail appointment at Bahena's old nail salon Bonbon Beauty Pub. What began as a professional relationship eventually grew into a years-long friendship. When Bahena closed her salon, Mix said she continued getting her nails done at Bahena's home.

Bahena did Mix's makeup for her wedding and, just days before Bahena's death, did Mix's nails ahead of her father's funeral.

"She was an amazing woman, she was soft and kind," Mix said. "She was so talented. She would come up with these beautiful designs."

Mix said Bahena had a warm personality that made people feel comfortable around her.

"She'll meet you, and she'll smile, and you'll be like, 'Oh, I like you,'" Mix said.

Friends say relationship had history

Reports described Ruesga as Bahena's ex-boyfriend, though friends said the couple was in an on-again, off-again relationship.

Mix said there had been a history of problems in the relationship and that Bahena had repeatedly been told Ruesga had changed.

"There was a history, I will say that much," Mix said. "But she got told he'd changed, over and over again. I never thought it would come to this."

Mix said Ruesga was often quiet and stayed in the background while she got her nails done.

"They were on and off. It wasn't always a steady relationship. I definitely would've never have expected something like this ever. I don't truly feel like Silvia would have ever expected something like this either," Castagno also said.

According to court documents, Ruesga was involved in an incident in June 2025 in which he pleaded no contest to a class B misdemeanor for property damage, with a note of "enhanceable for domestic violence." He was required to complete an anger management course that was "domestic violence related."

It isn't clear who the victim was in the 2025 incident, but Mix believes it was Bahena.

Friends are now raising money to help support Bahena's four children following her death.

Castagno started a GoFundMe campaign to help provide for the children.

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