SOUTH SALT LAKE, Utah, Oct. 5, 2020 (Gephardt Daily) — Officials have made an arrest after a homicide victim was found in a South Salt Lake parking lot one week ago.
The deceased is Kaitlyn Barron, 23, a Salt Lake City woman who also has family in San Antonio, Texas, a Facebook post from South South Salt Lake Police Department Wednesday said.
“Kaitlyn died as a result of blunt force trauma,” the post said. “Evidence from the scene has been submitted for forensic analysis. The investigation is ongoing.”
A witness called police around 7:30 a.m. to report a deceased female in the back parking lot of 2550 South and 300 West, officials said.
A probable cause statement from the 3rd District Court of Salt Lake City said Jovanie Silva, 22, was arrested in the early hours of Saturday morning and is facing a charge of murder, a first-degree felony.
The probable cause statement said detectives were called to a deceased naked female body lying next to a building. The woman was severely beaten and an obvious victim of a homicide and possible victim of rape, the statement said.
“Across the street from the location where KB was found there is a camera,” the arresting officer wrote. “The camera records both audio and visual. At approximately 4:28 a.m. on Sept. 27, two figures enter the frame walking southbound on 300 West on the west side of the road. Both individuals are walking toward the area where KB was found. The male is carrying what I have identified as a skateboard. The two walk out of view but can still be heard.”
A struggle can then be heard off-camera, the statement said.
Just after 5 a.m. the man is captured on camera walking away, carrying his skateboard.
The clothing found on and around the victim’s person matches the clothing worn by the woman captured on video, thought to be Barron. A large rock was found at the scene covered in blood, the statement said. The male who left with the skateboard is the only person seen on camera to enter the area with the victim; he is also the only person seen leaving.
Detectives used local business cameras in the area to track the suspect after he left the location where the victim’s body was found. That suspect, later identified as Silva, was tracked by local business camera footage to the Men’s Resource Center located at 3380 S. 1000 West.
A warrant was served on Silva’s personal items; he was in possession of a pair of underwear with blood stains near the waistband and groin area, the statement said.
Silva is refusing to speak to investigators. He was transported to Salt Lake County Jail, where he is being held without bail.
