Ogden, UT— A tense Amber Alert issued on Monday evening has been canceled after two young children, who were reportedly abducted by their father, were safely recovered and returned to family members. The alert, which was issued at 5:15 p.m., followed a tragic incident earlier in the day when a woman was found dead in a mobile home fire. Authorities have since classified the woman’s death as a homicide.
The two children, ages 2 and 3, were taken from their home in Riverdale after firefighters discovered their mother’s body inside a mobile home near 5100 South and 1050 West. Police confirmed that the fatal fire was suspicious, prompting an investigation into the incident. The children’s father, Ricardo Rojel Trujillo, was immediately considered a suspect in their abduction.
Following the Amber Alert, law enforcement agencies worked quickly to locate Trujillo. Around 8:20 p.m., just hours after the alert was issued, Riverdale Police Chief Casey Warren announced that the children had been safely returned to family members. The search for the suspect came to a close after authorities located Trujillo in a vehicle in Springville Canyon. He was taken into police custody without further incident.
“The children are safe, and that’s the most important thing,” Chief Warren said in a statement. “We’re still investigating the circumstances surrounding the tragic death of their mother, but we’re relieved that the children are no longer in harm’s way.”
Trujillo’s whereabouts were traced after a tip came in regarding his vehicle, leading officers to the Springville area. At the time of the Amber Alert’s cancellation, investigators had already secured the area where the mobile home fire occurred, combing through the scene for evidence related to the death.
Local residents expressed shock and disbelief as they learned of the tragedy. Sammy Beckstead, a neighbor who lives just doors away from where the mother was found dead, described the community’s sense of devastation. “It’s a great place to live. I would never suspect anything to take place like this where I’m at,” Beckstead said. “Oh, I’m devastated, I’m so devastated.”
The mobile home park, Riverdale Estates, was flooded with law enforcement officers and investigators throughout the afternoon and evening, as multiple agencies coordinated efforts to locate the children and piece together the details of the fire and homicide.
While the Amber Alert has been resolved with the safe return of the children, the investigation into the woman’s death is ongoing. Police continue to question Trujillo about the events surrounding the fire, and authorities are working to determine whether other individuals may be involved.
The tragedy has left the Riverdale community reeling, as residents continue to process the loss of a neighbor and the terrifying abduction that followed. Authorities are urging anyone with additional information about the incident to come forward as the investigation progresses.