Ex-boyfriend of missing Salt Lake woman arrested on suspicion of aggravated murder

MIDVALE — The ex-boyfriend of a woman killed and her body discovered in a remote area of Tooele County has been arrested for investigation of aggravated murder.

In addition, Nestor Oved Rocha-Aguayo, 24, of West Valley City, was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail on suspicion of aggravated robbery, two counts of evidence tampering, abuse or desecration of a dead body, escape, possession of a stolen vehicle and two counts of failing to stop for police.

Rocha-Aguayo is accused of killing his ex-girlfriend, Talia Benward, 31, on Jan. 1 and dumping her body in Tooele County in an area with cedar trees and tall brush. Benward's family reported her missing on Thursday.

According to a police booking affidavit, Benward had borrowed a friend's car. But by Friday, she had not returned the car, had not been to work in two days and had not been seen since Jan. 1, the affidavit states.

"As the investigation developed and evidence was gathered, it became evident Talia Benward was either being held against her will by a violent ex-boyfriend or was deceased," Unified police stated.

Police say Rocha-Aguayo was deported on Dec. 24 "but had recently been contacting Talia (Benward), telling her he had come back to Utah" less than a week later. Detectives served a search warrant on Benward's iPad "and found conversations with Nestor (Rocha-Aguayo) asking Talia (Benward) to come and pick him up at the Maverik in West Jordan on Jan. 1," according to the affidavit.

Investigators were able to recover surveillance video from the convenience store which showed Benward picking up Rocha-Aguayo on Wednesday afternoon. While their initial interaction seemed normal, "the video showed their movements eventually became sharp, they began pointing at each other, they rolled up their windows and it appeared as if they were arguing," the affidavit states.

Based on phone data collected from each person's cellular device, police say Rocha-Aguayo and Benward were in Salt Lake County for several hours, including the Magna area, on Wednesday night. About 7:30 p.m., the phones started moving toward Tooele.

"The two phones entered a rural area of Tooele County and remained there for approximately 28 minutes. Talia (Benward)'s phone left the initial Tooele County area, but stopped moving just off of the I-80 freeway, while Nestor (Rocha-Aguayo)'s traveled back to Salt Lake County," according to the affidavit.

Rocha-Aguayo's phone was then traced back to the Kearns area. Police searched the area and found the missing car.

"Detectives observed what appeared and was later confirmed by forensics to be human blood on the outside of the back passenger door," the affidavit states. "A warrant was obtained to search the vehicle and more blood was located in the back rear passenger seat, on the back passenger door and on the floor. Detectives also noticed the floor mat was missing on the back passenger floor, but the other mats in the car were not missing. It was also noted inside the trunk of the car, it smelled heavily of gasoline."

A team of law enforcers from Unified police, the Salt Lake City Police Department's K-9 squad and the Weber County sheriff search and rescue found Benward's body early Saturday. Investigators say they also found a "burn pit" which contained "the partially burned remains of a floor mat which matched the ones remaining in (the friend's) vehicle" as well as "rocks with what appeared to be blood stains," the affidavit states.

A police K-9 searching the area around the burn pit led officers to "what appeared to be a large pile of sagebrush and strategically stacked sticks. Upon closer inspection, the body of a deceased female was able to be seen. The female was later positively identified as Talia Benward," according to the affidavit.

Investigators observed "substantial trauma" to Benward's face and neck.

According to police, officers found Rocha-Aguayo on Saturday in West Valley and pulled over a vehicle that he was in.

"Officers tried to take Nestor (Rocha-Aguayo) into custody using a taser deployment, but Nestor (Rocha-Aguayo) was able to flee custody," the affidavit states.

Detectives from Unified police and the U.S. Marshal's Service continued looking for Rocha-Aguayo and learned that he "was onboard an international travel bus headed to Mexico." On Sunday, he was found on the bus in Fillmore at about 7:30 p.m.

"Marshals attempted to take Nestor (Rocha-Aguayo) into custody again and he tried to flee a second time and was forcefully taken into custody. Nestor (Rocha-Aguayo), while in custody, attempted to jump from a moving vehicle while being transported," according to the affidavit.

Police say there is a lengthy history of violence between Rocha-Aguayo and Benward.

In August, Rocha-Aguayo broke into Benward's home and took her passport, her daughter's birth certificate, a photo and a bracelet and refused to give those items back unless Benward left with him, according to charging documents. He was convicted in that case of burglary. A warrant was issued for his arrest, however, on Dec. 30 for violating the conditions of his probation.

In July, while Rocha-Aguayo and Benward were talking, Rocha-Aguayo tried to take her purse and hit Benward in the face, charging documents state. That case was later dismissed as part of a global resolution for his burglary case.

In December of 2023, police say Rocha-Aguayo was heavily intoxicated when he and Benward began arguing. Benward attempted to leave the residence with a friend, but Rocha-Aguayo "pulled his vehicle directly behind (the friend's) vehicle, preventing Talia (Benward) from leaving. (He) then grabbed Talia (Benward) by the hair and attempted to pull her from the vehicle by her hair," charging documents state. Rocha-Aguayo was convicted in that case of assault and violating a protective order.

He was also convicted of violating a protective order in November of 2023 against Benward.

This story may be updated

Related topics