A 37-year-old Utah mother was fatally shot inside her garage by her boyfriend while her children were inside the home, police said.
Silvia Bahena-Mota, 37, was killed Monday, August 31, at her residence in Tooele City, the Tooele City Police Department said.
Daniel Ruesga, 37, was arrested in connection with Bahena-Mota’s death, police said in a Wednesday, September 2, news release.
Ruesga is a real estate agent and a Tooele Chamber of Commerce ambassador, KUTV reported. He was also Bahena-Mota’s boyfriend, according to police.
Tooele City is located about a 35-mile drive southwest from Salt Lake City.
Police responded to the area before midnight on August 31 after 911 callers reported gunfire near Kings Landing Road and Emma Lane, authorities said.
Upon arriving at the residence, officers found Bahena-Mota dead, according to police. They also encountered Ruesga at the home.
Ruesga is accused of ramming his pickup truck into Bahena-Mota’s Tesla while she was sitting in the driver’s seat inside her garage, KUTV reported.
The suspect then allegedly got into an argument with her and shot her several times, according to police.
In an interview, Ruesga told investigators he purposely drove into Bahena-Mota’s Tesla before shooting her, according to an affidavit of probable cause viewed by KSL.
The victim’s four young children remained inside the house during the gunfire, according to court documents. They subsequently discovered their mother deceased, police said.
“The victim’s four children were inside the home at the time and heard the entire incident, later finding their mother deceased,” police wrote in the affidavit, the news outlet reported.
Bahena-Mota was a mother of four children who are 4, 9, 10 and 14 years old, according to her friend and coworker, Debbie Castagno.
“Silvia was a devoted single mom who worked hard every day to provide for her children and care for them with love,” Castagno wrote in a GoFundMe created to support Bahena-Mota’s children.
“Her life was taken by someone they trusted, leaving her children, family, and loved ones heartbroken and devastated,” the coworker wrote.
In a Wednesday Facebook post, Castagno wrote that Bahena-Mota “was one of the kindest, most giving people I have ever known.”
“She worked incredibly hard, cared deeply for those around her, and always had a smile on her face,” the post continued.
“No matter what life brought her way, she had a way of making others feel welcomed, valued, and loved,” Castagno wrote.
“Above all, Silvia was a devoted and loving mother,” the coworker wrote.
“Her four beautiful children were the center of her world, and she loved them with all her heart,” the tribute stated.
“The loss of such an amazing mother, daughter, sister, and friend is truly unimaginable,” Castagno wrote.
Ruesga is charged with murder, four counts of domestic violence “in the presence of a child” and improper discharge of a firearm, according to KSL.
The Tooele City Police Department detailed the arrest and charges following a prior update and its Wednesday news release, authorities said.
Information regarding whether Ruesga retained legal representation wasn’t immediately available.
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