A man in Utah has been arrested after police found his girlfriend’s body in the back of his car parked at a 7-Eleven. The tragic discovery was made in Bluffdale, Utah, about 25 miles south of Salt Lake City.
Jacob Johnson, 40, was taken into custody early Tuesday and is now facing a murder charge. According to court documents, officers from the Herriman Police Department were called to help Saratoga Springs Police investigate a possible DUI around midnight on December 31. They found Johnson’s car parked in a 7-Eleven lot on South Redwood Road. Inside the car, they discovered the lifeless body of a woman who had been badly beaten.
When police questioned Johnson, he allegedly admitted to causing some of the injuries. He told officers he had been in a heated argument with the victim, Summer Tatiana Roney, his live-in girlfriend. Johnson reportedly said their relationship was over and admitted to putting her in the car but didn’t go into detail about what happened.
Summer’s family described her as a kind, loving person who brought joy to everyone around her. In a statement, they expressed their heartbreak and asked for privacy as they grieve her loss.
Johnson appeared in court on Thursday, where a judge ruled there was enough evidence to keep him in jail without bond. Police said they pushed for a high bond amount due to Johnson’s defiant attitude and criminal history. He has prior convictions for theft, burglary, aggravated robbery, and DUI.
This devastating incident has left the community shaken as they come to terms with the loss of Summer and the tragedy of her untimely death.
