suburb was discovered early Friday morning at a horse
pasture near her home.
Kayley Vijil, who was found less than half a mile from her
home in West Valley City after her mother rushed to a local
7-Eleven around 1.30am to speak to police because she
could not find her daughter.
West Valley City Police Chief Lee Russo said that the girl had
not been contacted by her parents since midnight, when she
was lured from her house by a 15-year-old boy from the
neighborhood who did not know her or the family well.
Her body, which showed signs of trauma, was found at 3am
less than four blocks away.
Police say they are treating the case as a murder and that
the 15-year-old suspect was taken into custody around
1.30pm Friday. He will initially be charged with murder as a
juvenile.
West Valley Police Chief Lee Russo said it appeared that
there was no prior relationship between the two, yet the teen
somehow was able to convince the young girl to walk
outside her house at midnight and go with him.
"I believe a good-natured child was fooled and unfortunately
made a mistake she paid the ultimate price for," Russo said.
"This young girl thought she was helping somebody."
The chief said evidence was collected that linked the boy to
the crime. Detectives were led to the teen based on
information given to them by neighbors.
"He was known in the community, that's how we were able
to develop these leads," he said.
Yellow police tape surrounded the boy's home, near 5000
West and 3400 South, where a search warrant was served
Friday afternoon. His name was not immediately released.
He was booked into the Salt Lake County Juvenile Detention
Center for investigation of murder.
That boy went to Kailey's door and said something that
convinced her to go with him.
"There was a statement that was made that enticed her to
come out (of the house). There was a dialogue in which she
agreed to go outside," Russo said. "She did leave with an
individual that was unknown to the family around midnight."
It's unclear what exactly the teen said to lure her outside,
but Russo said she believed she was helping the boy. One
neighbor who lives near the Vijils said the same boy asked
his teenage sisters about 11:45 p.m. Thursday if they would
help him find a pregnant cat.
Neighbors said the boy had been asking other girls in the
neighborhood over the past couple of days if they wanted to
play with him in the field. Mia Montana, who is 8 years old,
said the boy tried to lure her to a fort behind an abandoned
house two days ago. She said she declined and told her
parents.
Officers started tracking Kailey by pinging her cellphone.
They were led to a field near 5200 West and 3600 South just
before 3 a.m., about three blocks west of the girl's home.
The overgrown horse pasture area is bordered by homes on
either side, but is in the middle is a wooded area with grass
that is 3 to 4 feet tall.
The officers found evidence of a "crime scene" and the girl's
body a short distance away, according to West Valley police
spokeswoman Roxanne Vainuku said. Investigators said
there appeared to be evidence of a struggle at the scene.
Russo said Kailey suffered some sort of trauma, but there
was no evidence of a stab wound or a gunshot wound.
Russo could not comment Friday if the girl was sexually
assaulted. The Utah State Medical Examiner's Office will
determine the exact cause of death.
Some neighbors claimed the boy had just been released
from juvenile detention, but Russo said his department had
no prior dealings with him.
The 15-year-old's family released a brief statement late
Friday, saying, "Our hearts and prayers are with the Vijil
family and may God comfort all families hurt by this terrible
tragedy."
Neighbor Felipe Montano said he was "sick and mad" when
he heard about the death and realized how close his
daughter Mia came to being lured away.
"There is a family out there that everybody needs to pray for
who did lose their child who is not as lucky as we were," he
said. "Be aware of your children, keep an eye on them, watch
them."
The Deseret News
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