2 arrested in Millard deputy slaying; prosecutors to seek death penalty

FILLMORE — One of the two men arrested in connection with the slaying of Millard County sheriff's deputy Josie Greathouse Fox will make his first court appearance today.

Roberto Miramontes Roman, 37, is charged with aggravated murder, a capital offense, and tampering with evidence, a third-degree felony. He was being held Wednesday in the Millard County Jail in lieu of $50 million cash-only bail. Prosecutors have filed notice they intend to seek the death penalty.

Ruben Chavez Reyes, who was arrested with Roman on Wednesday, has not been formally charged but is being held in jail on an immigration hold. Reyes could possibly face identical charges to those filed against Roman, Millard County Sheriff Robert Dekker said Wednesday.

Roman and Reyes were arrested about 7 a.m. Wednesday after deputies received a tip that they were inside a shed behind a mobile home just north of Beaver, said Beaver County Sheriff Cameron Noel.

The mobile-home owner is an acquaintance of both men, according to a law enforcement source. The owner got up early Wednesday to go to work, went to his shed to get a chain saw and found the men sleeping inside, the source said. The man quietly closed the door without waking the men and called police.

The men were taken into custody without incident by a sheriff's SWAT team and officers from surrounding agencies, Noel said. Investigators obtained a search warrant and searched the shed but have not said if any weapons were located inside.

Authorities believe Roman fired the single shot that left Fox dead on the side of U.S. 50 about 1 a.m. Tuesday. At the request of Sgt. Rhett Kimball, who had observed what he believed was suspicious behavior, Fox had stopped the Cadillac that Roman was allegedly driving. When Kimball arrived at Fox's location several minutes later, he found Fox on the ground with a bullet wound to the upper torso. Her gun was still in its holster.

The shooting sparked a statewide manhunt Tuesday. SWAT teams raided homes in the Poplar Grove neighborhood of Salt Lake City, in Nephi and in Fillmore after receiving tips that Roman and Reyes were there, Dekker said.

Investigators also had information the men might be in Beaver County, Noel said. Detectives knew the men, along with some friends, regularly organized dances in the area.

Late Tuesday, the Beaver County Sheriff's Office received a tip the two men might be in the area. Investigators searched, but, Noel said, "We came up with zero."

Wednesday morning, deputies received a call from a second person, who tipped them off about the shed.

Dekker visited with Fox's family after the arrests.

"What we talked about was very personal," he said, declining to elaborate. "I think everyone is relieved these people are in custody."