Man Suspected of Killing Girlfriend Week After Being Deported

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A man deported to Mexico who returned to Utah one week later has been charged with killing his former girlfriend, police said.

Nestor Oved Rocha-Aguayo, 24, of West Valley City, is a citizen of Mexico, according to an online inmate search. On Monday, he was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail on charges including aggravated murder, aggravated robbery, evidence tampering, abuse or desecration of a dead body, escape, possession of a stolen vehicle and two counts of failing to stop for police.

The body of his ex-girlfriend, Talia Benward, 31, was found Saturday, concealed under sagebrush near a burn pit, according to an arrest document for Rocha-Aguayo, KSL.com reports.

The Context

Rocha-Aguayo was reportedly deported on December 24 but began contacting Benward shortly afterward, informing her that he had returned to Utah less than a week later, according to the outlet.

Detectives executed a search warrant on Benward's iPad, uncovering conversations in which Rocha-Aguayo asked Benward to pick him up at a Maverik gas station in West Jordan on January 1.

What To Know

Benward was last seen borrowing a friend's car, which she failed to return. Concern grew after she missed work for two days. The Unified Police Department of Utah began investigating.

On January 1, surveillance footage showed Benward picking up Rocha-Aguayo at the Maverik. Surveillance footage from the gas station showed Benward arriving and Rocha-Aguayo getting into her car. Then they appeared to argue, with the two pointing at each other and rolling up their windows.

Later that night, phone data indicated, the pair traveled to Tooele County, where their devices stayed in a rural area for about 28 minutes. Benward's phone then stopped near Interstate 80, while Rocha-Aguayo's phone returned to Salt Lake County.

Police later found the borrowed vehicle in Kearns. Blood evidence was discovered in the back seat and trunk, where investigators noted a strong smell of gasoline.

A search team including police officers, a K-9 unit and rescue personnel found Benward's body early Saturday, under a pile of sagebrush and sticks. Near the scene, investigators discovered a burn pit containing a partially burned floor mat matching the ones in the car, along with bloodstained rocks.

Benward's body exhibited significant trauma to her face and neck, according to the affidavit.

Rocha-Aguayo was initially seen in West Valley on Saturday, but fled when officers attempted to detain him, police said. He was later found Sunday on an international bus headed to Mexico. Marshals apprehended him in Fillmore after he attempted to flee custody again, according to authorities, who added that Rocha-Aguayo also tried to jump from a moving vehicle while being transported.

Court records indicate a history of violence between Rocha-Aguayo and Benward. He was convicted of burglary in August 2023 after breaking into Benward's home and stealing personal items, which he refused to return unless she left with him. In December, he was convicted of assault and violating a protective order after preventing Benward from leaving a residence and attempting to pull her from a vehicle by her hair.

What People Are Saying

Sergeant Amy Race with the Unified Police Department: "The Unified Police Department would like to extend our deepest and most heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Talia Benward. We understand that no words can truly capture the pain and sorrow you are experiencing during this tragic time, and our thoughts are with you. This case has profoundly impacted our community, and our hearts go out to everyone who knew and loved Talia."