RIVERDALE, Utah – A 23-year-old woman, identified as Mayra Catalan-Dimas, was found dead following a house fire in Riverdale, leading to an AMBER Alert for her two young children and a search for their father, who has since been taken into custody.
On the evening of the incident, firefighters responded to a house fire at 5100 South 1050 West in Riverdale. Upon arriving at the scene, officers discovered Catalan-Dimas unresponsive inside the burning home. Despite efforts to resuscitate her, she was pronounced dead at the scene. Preliminary investigations revealed that the woman had been stabbed in the neck, though authorities have yet to confirm whether she died before the fire was set.
In the wake of the discovery, law enforcement issued an AMBER Alert after it was determined that Catalan-Dimas’ two children, a 3-year-old boy and a 2-year-old girl, were missing. Authorities identified the children’s father, 29-year-old Ricardo Trujilla-Rojel, as a suspect in the death of Catalan-Dimas.
A break in the case came when officials utilized license-plate scanning technology in Spanish Fork, locating Trujilla-Rojel’s 2007 Ford F-150. Following the identification of his vehicle, authorities posted images to assist in locating him and the children.
Two individuals in Hobble Creek Canyon, located 80 miles south of Riverdale, recognized the vehicle and contacted emergency dispatch. Deputies from the Utah County Sheriff’s Office responded to the area and discovered Trujilla-Rojel walking along the road with the two children.
Trujilla-Rojel was arrested on suspicion of involvement in the death of Catalan-Dimas, and the children were placed under the care of Child Protective Services. Fortunately, the children were later returned to the custody of family members after being evaluated by authorities.
Law enforcement officials continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident, including whether the fire was deliberately set and the sequence of events leading to Catalan-Dimas’ tragic death. As the investigation unfolds, authorities have not released further details on the suspect’s motives or the exact timeline of the events.
This case has left the Riverdale community in shock, as they await answers about the violent crime and the safety of the young children involved.