Two men sentenced for grisly death of West Valley woman

KEARNS, Utah ( ABC4 ) — Two of the six co-defendants in the grisly murder of Nichole Solorio-Romero were sentenced to lengthy prison terms earlier this week, the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office said.

Both Jorge Rafael Medina-Reyes, 25, and Orlando Tobar, 32, were sentenced on Tuesday, July 23 for charges of first-degree felony murder and first-degree felony aggravated kidnapping.

Medina-Reyes was sentenced to 15 years to life on both counts, to run concurrently. Meanwhile, Tobar was sentenced to 15 years to life on both counts, to run consecutively, for a minimum of 30 years.

“The pernicious crimes committed by the co-defendants in this case are some of the worst I have seen in my 30 years as a prosecutor. These sentences send a strong message that violence will not be tolerated in our community,” said Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill.

Both Medina-Reyes and Tobar pleaded guilty to the charges as part of a plea deal earlier this year. According to court documents, the two were part of a group that forced Solorio-Romero from her home by gunpoint and took her to a West Valley residence in February 2021.

The kidnappers held her against her will by knife-point before Medina-Reyes shot her in the head. Solorio-Romero was then shot a second time by Tobar.

Her body was later wrapped in plastic bags and taken away from the West Valley home by Tobar and fellow co-defendant, Cristian Morales. Her body was then left on the side of the road in Tooele County.

Tobar later testified to police that Solorio-Romero “knew too much” which led to her being shot and killed.

Morales, who was originally charged with felony obstructing justice and desecration of a dead human body, also pleaded guilty in June of this year. Morales’ charge for obstructing justice was amended to a misdemeanor while the desecration charge was dismissed with prejudice. His one-year jail sentence was suspended and he was released on a two-year probation period.

Ivan Acosta, Fernando Marquez, and Carolina Marquez, all of whom were allegedly involved in the incident are still awaiting trial. Acosta faces charges of obstructing justice and desecration of a dead human body while Fernando and Carolina Marquez face murder and kidnapping charges.

All three are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law.

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