MURRAY, Utah — One man is in jail after he admitted to locking a woman in a storage unit that then caught fire, leading to her and her dog's death Saturday evening.
Alexander Paul Wardell, 30, was booked into Salt Lake County Jail Saturday night on charges of negligent Homicide and Kidnapping.
As FOX 13 News previously reported, the Murray City Fire Department was dispatched just before 5 p.m. to a storage unit building in the area of 4600 South 900 East after getting reports of a fire involving six of the units.
Officials later found the victim and her dog locked inside.
According to the probable cause statement obtained by FOX 13 News, Murray Police responded to the scene and spoke with Wardell, who admitted to closing the storage unit with the victim and her dog inside, placing a lock on it before leaving the area on foot. Police said the victim was his girlfriend, but her name has not been released.
Police said the fire broke out after Wardell had left, with the victim and dog trapped inside. The storage unit was not opened until firefighters were able to open the door.
Wardell is currently being held without bail pending trial. Court records show he was convicted of domestic violence-related aggravated assault in 2019, as well as possession of a dangerous weapon by a restricted person in 2022.
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Resources for domestic violence victims/prevention (free, 24/7, confidential):
- Utah Domestic Violence Coalition:
- Hotline: 1-800-897-LINK (5465)
- Online help: udvc.org
- National Domestic Violence Hotline
- 1-800-799-SAFE (7233)
- Online live chat: thehotline.org
- If you or someone else is in immediate danger, or in an emergency, call 9-1-1 immediately.
