SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, June 12, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — A 42-year-old man pleaded guilted to the murders of two women, one of whom was pregnant, in Salt Lake County in 2006 and 2008.
Juan Antonio Arreola-Murillo, 42, entered guilty pleas Monday in 3rd District Court for the aggravated murders of Sonia Mejia and her unborn child on Feb. 9, 2006, and Damiana Castillo on the same date two years later. Both women died from strangulation, police said.
Mejia, 29, was found dead in her Taylorsville apartment when her husband returned from work. Officials said she was six months pregnant at the time.
Castillo, 57, was killed in her West Valley City apartment Feb. 9, 2008, about five blocks from where Mejia was murdered, police said.
“Our office mourns the losses of Damiana Castillo, Sonia Mejia and her unborn child,” Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill said. “While perfect justice would mean that these three individuals would still be with us today, we hope that these guilty pleas can bring a semblance of justice and closure for these families.”
Arreola-Murillo was charged with three counts of first-degree felony aggravated murder in April 2017. He was extradited from Mexico in January 2022 after serving a prison sentence there for a series of aggravated robberies, according to the district attorney’s office.
Arreola-Murillo is scheduled to be sentenced Aug. 10.
“We would like to acknowledge Unified Police Department, West Valley City Police Department, and our prosecutors for their efforts on this case. We would like to also thank our partner agencies on extraditing Mr. Arreola-Murillo back to Utah to account for his crimes,” Gill said.
