Saratoga Springs police search for missing man after woman found dead in RV

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Police are searching for a man in connection with the death of his wife of 19 years.

Saratoga Springs police requested help Monday to find Alvaro Jose Urbina Rojas, a 57-year-old man originally from Venezuela, and Jeusselem Elieth Genes Vitola, 43. The two were last seen by family members on Feb. 26.

While investigating a missing person's case, police served a search warrant on an RV in a Draper storage lot owned by Urbina and located Vitola's body inside the camper trailer.

Family members told police Urbina was supposed to be taking his wife to work last Thursday morning. Both left the house around 10 a.m.

When Vitola didn't show up to work and the couple didn't return home, the family requested a welfare check on their home, Saratoga Springs Police Chief Andrew Burton said Tuesday.

Surveillance cameras showed the vehicle they were in had been spotted in Cedar City, St. George and Las Vegas during the middle of day on Thursday, but police were unable to determine who was in the vehicle with Urbina, Burton said.

Family members said they went to the storage lot last Saturday to find the couple, according to Burton, but they didn't have any luck.

"Family members reported that they went there to the trailer on Saturday but did not locate either party, finding the trailer locked," he said. "But they did attempt to look into the trailer through windows and did not see anything or anyone."

Investigators were able to trace the use of credit card purchases later Thursday evening to determine Urbina was somewhere in California, he said.

An autopsy was performed Tuesday to determine her exact cause of death, but the results are still pending, the chief said.

"There are at least two, possibly three methodologies that could have caused death and they just don't know which one of those actually did," Burton said.

The case is now deemed a homicide investigation, and police are looking for Urbina, who they believe fled to California. He is described as 5 feet 9 inches tall, weighing about 193 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. He is believed to be driving a 2005 gray Toyota Sequoia with the Utah license plate T409YB.

As recently as Monday, Urbina's van had been seen on surveillance cameras in California, the chief said.

The woman's daughter, Ariany Urbina, lamented her mother's passing in a public post on Facebook.

"My beautiful mother, you'll always be present every moment for the rest of my life. I'll care for Aaron with all my soul," she wrote, alluding to her younger brother, the woman's son. "I don't have many words, only that I love you, you're in my heart, I will miss you for the rest of my life. Until we meet again in eternity."

Vitola and Urbina came to the United States from Mérida, Venezuela, with their two children, Ariany and a younger son, about 10 years ago, according to Utahzolanos, a social media operation that caters to the Venezuelan community in Utah. They applied for asylum here.

The couple had been married for 19 years. Family members told police they didn't suspect either of the two were in any danger. Police said there hadn't been any reports of domestic violence, though family members said there had been "some ongoing arguments" and talks of divorce.

Saratoga Springs police hold press conference Tuesday afternoon.

Contributing: Tim Vandenack

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