Authorities say a 32-year-old woman in Summit County on Sunday afternoon had been reported missing in Utah 10 days earlier.
Maria Maricela Astorga-Chavez, of West Valley City, Utah, was found along the interstate by a Colorado Department of Transportation employee.
Her death is being investigated as a homicide.
Police in Utah say they are in connection with Astorga-Chavez’s death. He was last seen with Astorga-Chavez as the pair traveled in a white Ford Expedition.
West Valley City police say Astorga-Chavez’s “behavior leading up to her disappearance was out of character,” but have not elaborated.
“Investigators from (Utah) have located a crime scene in West Valley City where it is believed Astorga-Chavez died,” the Summit County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release. “Investigators have also located the white Ford Expedition known to be driven by Javier Huerta at a separate site. That vehicle has been secured and will be analyzed for evidence.”
Police say Huerta is Hispanic, about 5-feet 10-inches tall, weighs roughly 160 pounds and also goes by the name Jorge Martinez.
Anyone with information on Huerta’s whereabouts or Astorga-Chavez’s death is asked to call West Valley City police at 801-840-4000.
Jesse Paul: 303-954-1733, jpaul@denverpost.com or twitter.com/JesseAPaul
