Salt Lake County prosecutors filed murder charges Monday in the case of a woman who was found strangled on Christmas Day 2001.
Fernando Leal Cervantes, 26, was charged with criminal homicide, a first-degree felony, in 3rd District Court in connection with the killing of Doris Anaid Vazquez.
Vazquez, 24, had left her parents in Mexico only a couple of months before her death and was living with people in a house near 4900 South and 3800 West. The other occupants of the home found her dead.
The Utah State Medical Examiner's Office determined the manner of death was homicide caused by strangulation, charges state.
Cervantes left his Taylorsville residence on the morning of the killing, returning to his wife later that day with blood and injuries on his face. The wife learned "something bad had happened and that he had to leave town," charges state.
Cervantes' car turned up in Las Vegas where he apparently offered it to someone in exchange for a lift to Mexico, charges state.
Samples from Vazquez's hand, sock and sweatshirt were determined to have blood belonging to a male, charges state.
Prosecutors have "reason to believe he's in Mexico," but they don't know for sure, said Salt Lake County District Attorney's spokesman Robert Stott.
Stott added prosecutors have asked the court to set the bail at $500,007 (the last $7 is an indication that prosecutors do not want the judge to lower the bail).
"We hope to maybe to get him back. That's one of the reasons we're filing charges. We have to get the warrants out and things like that," he said.
E-mail: lhancock@desnews.com