Hispanic Mother Who Had Recently Opened a Food Truck Found Dead; Police Searching for Her Husband

Mother found dead in Utah

Police searching for husband

Venezuelan community in mourning

The death of a Venezuelan mother has caused shock among the Hispanic community in Utah.

Jeusselem Elieth Genes Vitola, 43, was found dead inside a trailer in Draper while police continue searching for her husband, Álvaro José Urbina Rojas, who has been named a person of interest in the investigation.

The woman had immigrated to the United States about ten years ago with her family in hopes of building a better life.

Recently, she and her husband had celebrated the opening of their Venezuelan food truck called Rica Arepa, a business that represented years of effort and hard work.

Now the tragedy leaves behind two children — ages 20 and 11 — facing the loss of their mother, while family members and friends seek support to help the family through the grieving process.

The disappearance that worried relatives and led to a homicide investigation

Jeusselem Genes Vitola death in Utah – PHOTO: Gofundme

The search for the couple began last Thursday when relatives realized they could not contact them.

According to the Saratoga Springs Police Department, both were last seen around 10 a.m., when Urbina Rojas left home to drive Genes Vitola to work.

However, she never arrived.

That same night, relatives asked police to perform a welfare check.

Police Chief Andrew Burton explained that at the time the family did not believe there was any immediate danger.

Discovery of Jeusselem Genes Vitola’s body changes the investigation

Initially, relatives even wondered whether the couple might have been detained by immigration authorities, but a police review ruled out that possibility.

The situation changed dramatically on Monday when detectives obtained a search warrant to examine the couple’s trailer located at a storage facility in Draper.

During the search, authorities found the body of Jeusselem Genes Vitola.

“The trailer was processed as a crime scene and the medical examiner’s office was notified,” Burton said.

Authorities confirmed that an autopsy has been conducted, although the full results are still pending.

Authorities track the husband’s movements across several states

As the investigation continues, authorities have reconstructed part of the route taken by the couple’s vehicle.

Investigators said the SUV was captured by traffic cameras in Cedar City, St. George, and Las Vegas on Thursday afternoon.

However, the images did not confirm who was inside the vehicle.

Later, credit card records and other purchases placed activity in California that same night.

Chief Burton also said the vehicle — a gray 2005 Toyota Sequoia with Utah license plate T409YB — was seen by cameras in Southern California as recently as Monday.

Authorities are alerting law enforcement agencies in that state while trying to determine whether Urbina Rojas has contacts there.

Officials also noted that the U.S. Border Patrol has not recorded the vehicle crossing into Mexico, leading investigators to believe it may still be in the United States.

Although there was no documented history of domestic violence, Burton mentioned there had been “some conversations about divorce.”

Venezuelan community expresses grief

The news has deeply affected the Venezuelan community in Utah, where the couple was known.

Fernando Colmenares, who works in a Venezuelan food truck area in Midvale, said he had never noticed signs of problems between them.

“Things seemed very normal,” Colmenares said while recalling his encounters with the couple.

He explained that the food truck Rica Arepa had opened just two weeks earlier, with relatives participating in the inauguration.

“Even though we only knew them briefly, they seemed happy and we were all very happy for them, to see their progress as Venezuelans,” he said.

Colmenares described the news of Genes Vitola’s death as devastating and said many members of the community have been closely following the case.

Fundraising campaign launched to support Jeusselem Genes Vitola’s children

Jeusselem Genes Vitola death in Utah – PHOTO: Gofundme

While the investigation continues, relatives have launched a fundraising campaign on GoFundMe to support the children of Jeusselem Genes.

The GoFundMe campaign page includes the dedication:

“Help Us Honor and Support Jeusselem Genes’ Children.”

The message explains that the mother was born on August 20, 1982, in Mérida, Venezuela, and devoted her life to her children Ariany, 20, and Aaron, 11.

“Ten years ago, Jeusselem came to the United States with a single dream: to build a better future for her children. On March 2, 2026, she was tragically taken from their lives, and in an unimaginable turn of events, both parents are now absent.”

During this difficult time, the children’s grandparents have taken custody to provide stability and support.

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Donations, according to the campaign, will help cover funeral expenses, therapy for the children, housing needs, and educational support.

Authorities asked anyone with information about the case to contact Detective Llorens of the Saratoga Springs Police Department as the investigation into the Jeusselem Genes Vitola death Utah continues.

SOURCE: KSL TV 5