Crime
Five Family Members Found Dead in West Valley City Home in Suspected Homicide
At this time, it remains unclear whether the 17-year-old boy is a suspect or a victim.
Tragedy struck a quiet West Valley City neighborhood on Tuesday when five family members, including three children, were found dead in their home in what police are investigating as a homicide.
The discovery was made at a residence on the 3700 block of Oxford Way in the afternoon, according to Roxeanne Vainuku, a spokeswoman for the West Valley City Police Department.
Concerns arose when a relative of the family attempted to contact a woman living in the home over several days but received no response.
On Monday night, officers conducted a welfare check at the residence but found no signs of an emergency or criminal activity.
The situation escalated when the woman failed to show up for work on Tuesday. Concerned, the relative entered the home through the garage, where she discovered a 17-year-old boy suffering from a gunshot wound.
Police were called to the scene around 2:10 p.m.
Upon arrival, officers found the injured teenager in the garage. He was promptly transported to a hospital and remains in critical condition with significant injuries.
Inside the home, officers made a grim discovery: the bodies of five family members.
The victims were identified as a 42-year-old man, a 38-year-old woman, an 11-year-old boy, a 9-year-old girl, and a 2-year-old girl.
Police confirmed that all six individuals lived in the home and were part of the same family. Investigators are working to determine the sequence of events that led to the tragedy.
A search warrant has been obtained to further examine the property.
At this time, it remains unclear whether the 17-year-old boy is a suspect or a victim.
Police emphasized that the incident appears to be isolated and assured the public that there are no suspects at large.
The tragedy has left neighbors on the typically tranquil street in shock.
โThis is just a total shock. I can’t believe this happened,โ said Michael Webster, a neighbor who noted that nothing like this had ever occurred in their area before.
Another neighbor, Tristan Williams, expressed disbelief, saying, โYou donโt really realize how real the world can be until itโs close to home.โ
Neighbors also noted unusual activity in the days leading up to the discovery, including a family dog that had gone unfed.
As the investigation unfolds, police are focused on piecing together what happened inside the home and determining the circumstances surrounding this devastating incident.
The West Valley City community is reeling from the loss of an entire family and grappling with the unimaginable tragedy that has shaken their sense of safety and peace.
Crime
Venezuelan national Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis shot in the leg by an immigration agent in Minneapolis
On January 14, 2025, federal law enforcement personnel were engaged in a targeted enforcement operation involving Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, a Venezuelan national who has been present in the United States since 2022.
The operation escalated into a high-speed pursuit, a physical confrontation, and an ambush by multiple subjects, necessitating the use of a defensive firearm discharge by a federal agent.
At approximately 6:50 PM, federal officers initiated a targeted traffic stop of a vehicle operated by Sosa-Celis.
The subject refused to comply with law enforcement commands and attempted to flee the scene.
During the pursuit, the subjectโs vehicle collided with a stationary, parked car.
Following the collision, the subject abandoned the vehicle and fled the scene on foot.
A federal agent pursued the suspect on foot and successfully intercepted him. As the agent attempted to effect an arrest, the subject became combative, resulting in a violent struggle on the ground.
During this confrontation, two additional male subjects emerged from a nearby residence to intervene.
These individuals reportedly ambushed the agent, utilizing a snow shovel and a broom handle to strike the officer.
The situation escalated when the primary suspect, Sosa-Celis, regained his footing and joined the two additional subjects in the assault.
Reports indicate the suspect struck the agent with a blunt object (identified as either the shovel or broom handle).
Citing an immediate threat to his life while being outnumbered and actively assaulted by three individuals, the agent discharged his service weapon in self-defense.
The discharge struck Sosa-Celis in the lower extremity (leg). Following the shot, all three suspects retreated into a nearby apartment complex and initiated a barricade situation.
Following a brief standoff, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) successfully secured the perimeter and apprehended all three individuals without further injury.
Both the federal agent and Sosa-Celis were transported to a local medical facility for treatment.
Images from the scene showed Sosa-Celis conscious and alert during transport.
All three subjects involved in the assault are currently in the custody of ICE.
Further charges related to the assault on a federal officer and resisting arrest are pending review by the U.S. Attorneyโs Office.