Police said a man is in custody for allegedly locking a woman in a storage unit complex in Murray, a small city about eight miles south of Salt Lake City, Utah, before a fire on Saturday which resulted in their deaths. Workers at the car wash next door said they saw smoke rising from one of the complex’s structures.
Tristan Rogers, a worker at the car wash, stated that they glanced out the window and saw the smoke rising. They contacted the fire department. Police and fire department personnel showed up.
Six storage containers were discovered to have burned down, and one of them included the horrible sight of a dead woman and her dog. Authorities discovered the woman was trapped inside with no way out. To get to the woman, the firefighters had to open the door.
The man cops detained, 30-year-old Alexander Wardell, claimed that the woman was his girlfriend. The affidavit states that the woman was inside the unit when Wardell locked the door. Wardell allegedly walked away and departed the area on foot after that. It is unknown if Wardell is also to blame for the fire since the Murray City Fire Department stated on Sunday that they are uncertain of the fire’s cause and are currently looking into it.
A review of Wardell’s background reveals that he is on probation for two domestic abuse incidents against a former partner in 2018. He admitted to misdemeanor criminal mischief and felony aggravated assault, and his sentences totaled 36 months of probation, to be served consecutively.
Wardell’s legal history indicates that he has repeatedly broken the conditions of his probation. Several warrants have been issued for his arrest due to the offenses.
Wardell is accused of abduction, negligent homicide, and breaking his probation. There is no bail set this time.
