OREM, Utah, Feb. 10, 2022 (Gephardt Daily) — An Orem man was taken into custody late Wednesday night and, in addition to being wanted on multiple warrants, is now facing a charge of abuse or desecration of a dead human body.
Victor Chavez-Zuniga, 27, was pulled over in a traffic stop for his “driver side headlight being out at approximately 300 S 1200 W in Orem,” according to a probable cause statement filed by an officer of the Orem Police Department.
When officers ran the suspect’s driver license information, they learned that Chavez-Zuniga had several active warrants, the statement says.
After Chavez-Zuniga was handcuffed, “Officers performed a systematic search of Victor’s person and a wallet was found that he claimed ownership of.”
“A severed finger in a cloth wrap was found concealed inside of the wallet,” the reporting officer wrote.
Officers also noticed a “foul smell” when the finger was removed from the cloth wrap.
Chavez-Zuniga was taken to the Orem Police Department and held there until he was transported to the Utah County Jail, where he was booked on his active warrants and the desecration charge, which is a third-degree felony.
Police did not offer any insights into the possible origin of the severed finger.
The investigation is ongoing.
