SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, July 25, 2024 (Gephardt Daily) — Two men were sentenced to prison Thursday for their roles in the 2021 murder and kidnapping of a 25-year-old Kearns woman.
Prosecutors say Nicole Solorio-Romero was taken from her home at gunpoint Feb. 6, 2021, and driven to a West Valley City residence, where she was shot and killed. Her body was later found wrapped in plastic bags on the side of the road in Tooele County.
A judge sentenced Orlando Tobar to 30 years to life and Jorge Rafael Medina-Reyes to 15 years to life for her murder and kidnapping.
Charging documents say Tobar and Medina-Reyes kidnapped Solorio-Romero and took her to Tobar’s home in West Valley City, where she was held at knifepoint.
While there, witnesses told police Solorio-Romero was shot in the head by Medina-Reyes, then shot a second time by Tobar, according to the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office.
Tobar and another man, Cristian Morales, then transported Solorio-Romero’s body to Tooele County and left it on the side of the road, prosecutors say.
“The pernicious crimes committed by the co-defendants in this case are some of the worst I have seen in my 30 years as a prosecutor. These sentences send a strong message that violence will not be tolerated in our community,” District Attorney Sim Gill said.
