Homicide investigation begins after missing Utah woman’s body found in Colorado

West Valley City police are asking for the public's help finding a homicide suspect after the body of a missing West Valley City woman turned up near a freeway in Colorado.

On Sunday afternoon, a Colorado Department of Transportation worker found a woman's body along Interstate 70 in Summit County, Colo., according to a West Valley City police news release. The county is west of Denver.

Investigators confirmed the body was that of Maria Maricela Astorga-Chavez, 32, who has been missing from West Valley City since Aug. 6.

Police are investigating her death as a homicide, although autopsy and toxicology results are still pending and "will likely take weeks," according to the release.

Astorga-Chavez's behavior leading up to her disappearance "was out of character," police said at the time when she went missing.

On Aug. 6, Astorga-Chavez's family saw her leave with a man known as Javier Huerta in a white Ford Expedition, the release adds. Police consider him a suspect.

"Investigators have located a crime scene in West Valley City where it is believed Astorga-Chavez died," the release reads. "Investigators have also located the white Ford Expedition known to be driven by Javier Huerta at a separate site."

Police spokeswoman Roxeanne Vainuku declined to say where the suspected crime scene was, except that police discovered it after the transportation worker found Astorga-Chavez's body.

Police are asking for the public's help in finding Huerta. Anyone with information about the crime or his whereabouts is asked to call them at 801-840-4000.

The news release describes Huerta, no age available, as about 5-foot-10 and 160 pounds, and adds that he is known to go by "Jorge Martinez" and other aliases.

mmcfall@sltrib.com

Twitter: @MikeyPanda