Utah Man Kills Girlfriend in Garage with Gun, 4 Kids Found Her Body

Daniel Ruesga, 37, allegedly rammed his pickup into his girlfriend's Tesla and shot her multiple times in a Utah garage. Her four children were home and later discovered her body.

Utah Man Crashes Truck Into Girlfriend's Tesla, Shoots Her Dead While Her Children Were Home

A 37-year-old Utah man has been arrested on a murder charge after allegedly ramming his pickup truck into his girlfriend's parked Tesla and shooting her multiple times inside a residential garage, Law & Crime reports. Her four children were inside the home at the time and later discovered her body.

Daniel Castro Ruesga was taken into custody and booked into the Tooele County Jail on one count of murder, four counts of criminal homicide with domestic violence in the presence of a child, and one count of improper discharge of a firearm.

Officers from the Tooele City Police Department responded just before midnight on Aug. 31 to multiple reports of shots fired in the 600 block of E. Kings Landing Road near Emma Lane. Upon arrival, they found a white Toyota Tundra pickup truck crashed into the rear of a white Tesla inside a garage. Bullet casings were located outside the driver's-side door of the Tesla. The victim was found deceased in the driver's seat.

Ruesga, identified as the registered owner of the Toyota, told officers that a firearm had been left in his vehicle. Police placed him under arrest shortly thereafter.

He later confessed, according to a probable cause affidavit obtained by Gephardt Daily. "Ruesga was later interviewed and, post-Miranda warning, admitted to intentionally crashing into the vehicle and shooting the victim with a handgun multiple times after an argument," the document states. "The victim's four children were inside the home at the time and heard the entire incident, later finding their mother deceased."

Police did not publicly release the victim's name. Salt Lake City NBC affiliate KSL identified her as 37-year-old Silvia Bahena.

Ruesga is being held without bond at the Tooele County Jail. No court date had been announced at the time of reporting.

The arrest follows an earlier domestic violence-related misdemeanor case against Ruesga involving property damage at a residence where he had been living, according to Salt Lake City CBS affiliate KUTV. That case was resolved with a plea in abeyance, six months of probation, and a requirement to undergo an anger-management evaluation and complete any recommended treatment. The case formally closed on March 3, 2026. It was not confirmed whether the victim in that prior case was the same woman killed on Aug. 31.

The Tooele Police Department did not immediately respond to a request for additional comment.

Source: Law & Crime