Charges Filed in Connection With Alleged Murder of Jorge Llamas

Today, Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill announced charges filed in connection with the alleged murder of Jorge Llamas.

On October 13, 2024, Taylorsville police responded to a shots fired call where they found Mr. Llamas unresponsive in a bedroom, with his girlfriend, Ariana Aguilar, on top of him. When medical personnel arrived, they declared Mr. Llamas deceased on the scene. As medical personnel attended to Mr. Llamas, there was a commotion in the living room. When police went to see what was happening, they saw Ariana holding a woman on the ground and hitting her. After police took Ms. Augilar into custody, the woman she was hitting told them that Ariana and Mr. Llamas had been in a fight earlier in the evening, and Mr. Llamas had locked Ariana outside. She said that later, Ariana returned with her daughter, Natalie Aguilar, and some males whom she did not know. She said two of the males went into Mr. Llamas's room, and then she heard a shot. She said she saw Ariana's daughter, and the males run from the home.

Police later interviewed Natalie, who admitted that her mother had called her after her fight with Mr. Llamas and said that they needed to come jump him because he had "put hands on" her. Natalie told police that she drove to Mr. Llamas's home with V.V., Alejandro Mendoza, and J.M.-R. While interviewing V.V., he admitted to police that two additional males were with them in the vehicle, A.M.-M. and I.S. The five males were captured on surveillance camera entering a gas station at around the time they would have been driving with Natalie from Ogden to Taylorsville. In that surveillance footage, police observed A.M.-M. lift his arm and hold his hand out like a gun; he was then observed pretending to rack the gun and fire.

Natalie told police that when they arrived near Mr. Llamas's house, they met Ariana, who got into the car, and the males got out. Natalie said she and her mother drove up to Mr. Llamas's home. When investigators later looked at surveillance footage near Mr. Llamas's house, they observed all five of the males walking toward Mr. Llamas's home. Natalie said that Ariana then broke a window screen to Mr. Llamas's house, opened the window, and ordered A.M.-M. and J.M.-R. to go inside and open the door. Natalie told police that A.M.-M. had a gun that was visible when he entered the home. Ariana allegedly led them to Mr. Llama's room, where he was sleeping, and told them, "This is the homie." A.M.-M. then allegedly started yelling at Mr. Llamas, hit him with the gun, then shot him. J.M.-R. said he received a message from A.M.-M. that said, "Sorry, someone must have put a bullet in the chamber."

Natalie Estella Aguilar and Alejandro Mendoza are each charged with one count of first-degree felony murder, one count of first-degree felony aggravated burglary, and one count of second-degree felony obstruction of justice. Ariana Aguilar is charged with one count of first-degree felony murder, one count of first-degree felony aggravated burglary, two counts of first-degree felony obstruction of justice, and one count of retaliation against a witness.

All charges against the four other minor males are being screened for juvenile court.

"This tragic loss of life was preventable. We want to express our heartfelt support to the family as they grieve the loss of their loved one," said Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill. "We thank Taylorsville Police Department for their thorough investigation that helped lead to these charges being filed. All persons accused of wrongdoing are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.” "

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