TOOELE, Utah (TCN) — A 37-year-old man has been arrested after police allege he rammed his ex-girlfriend’s vehicle, shot her, and left her body for her children to discover.
According to the Tooele Police Department, officers responded to a residence on Aug. 31 after receiving reports of gunshots. An arrest warrant obtained by Gephardt Daily reads, “Upon arrival, officers located a white Tesla inside of the garage with a white Toyota Tundra pickup truck crashed into the rear of the Tesla.” They found a deceased woman inside the Tesla.
Police later identified her as Silvia Bahena-Mota, a mother of four. According to Gephardt Daily, Bahena-Mota’s children heard the alleged incident and found their mother’s body.
Per Gephardt Daily, the Toyota Tundra was registered to Daniel Ruesga. Police took Ruesga into custody at the scene. The arrest warrant alleges Ruesga said the firearm used in the shooting was inside the vehicle. In a later interview, he allegedly admitted that he intentionally crashed his car into the Tesla and shot the victim after an argument.
Ruesga was booked into jail on suspicion of murder, first-degree domestic violence, four counts of domestic violence in the presence of a child, and third-degree criminal homicide, according to Gephardt Daily.
KUTV reports that Ruesga is a real estate agent and an ambassador for the Tooele, Utah, chamber of commerce. According to court records obtained by the outlet, prosecutors gave him a plea in abeyance in connection with a June 2025 incident in which he was convicted of destroying property belonging to someone he lived with. It is not known whether that victim was Bahena-Mota, his ex-girlfriend. KUTV reports Ruesga was ordered to be on probation for six months and that the case was closed in March.
According to a Facebook post from one of her friends, “Silvia was more than just a coworker to me. She was my friend both at work and outside of work. She 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,” KSL reports.
The post continues, “No matter what life brought her way, she had a way of making others feel welcomed, valued, and loved. Above all, Silvia was a devoted and loving mother. Her four beautiful children were the center of her world, and she loved them with all her heart. The loss of such an amazing mother, daughter, sister, and friend is truly unimaginable.”
The investigation is ongoing.
