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An undocumented immigrant from Mexico residing in Utah faces charges of attempted murder after authorities allege he attacked a woman by slashing her throat.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, Jesus Alejandro Ramirez-Padilla has been charged with attempted murder, obstruction of justice, aggravated assault, and possession of drug paraphernalia following the incident on March 18 in Salt Lake City. Immigration officials have requested local authorities to comply with a detainer placed on the suspect.
The victim remains in critical condition at the hospital, with her identity yet to be disclosed.
A photograph of Jesus Alejandro Ramirez-Padilla, taken on March 19, 2026, shows the suspect accused of the attempted murder following the alleged assault in Salt Lake City. (Department of Homeland Security)
“Jesus Alejandro Ramirez-Padilla is a dangerous individual who violently attacked a woman by strangling and repeatedly slashing her throat,” stated DHS acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis. “We urge political leaders to ensure this violent criminal is not released into American neighborhoods. Such individuals have no place in our communities.”
According to local reports, Ramirez-Padilla and the woman were smoking methamphetamine before the alleged crime. Police responded to reports of a woman crying in an alley, and found her bleeding with a deep cut in her neck.
A homeowner’s surveillance camera reportedly caught the incident, leading to Ramirez-Padilla’s identification. When he was arrested, his hands and pants were covered in blood, according to the reports.
US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, along with other federal law enforcement agencies, attend a pre-enforcement meeting in Chicago, Illinois, US, on Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025. (Christopher Dilts/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
He reportedly met the victim the previous night, and they met up take drugs together the night of the alleged murder attempt.
Ramirez-Padilla also reportedly confessed to police that he strangled the victim and slit her throat, but said that the drugs altered his state of mind.
It is unclear whether Ramirez-Padilla, who remained in the Salt Lake County jail as of Tuesday, has obtained legal counsel.
The suspected attempted murder comes on the heels of several high-profile crimes in which illegal aliens are prime suspects.
Venezuelan national Jose Medina-Medina was charged on Sunday with first-degree murder in the death of Loyola University of Chicago student Sheridan Gorman. Police say that Gorman was shot in the back while walking along Chicago’s lakefront with friends last Thursday.
Sheridan Gorman was killed after being shot in the head while taking a walk with friends at Tobey Prinz Beach, located less than a mile from the Illinois’ campus, around 1 a.m. on Thursday, according to reports. (Sheridan G. Gorman via Instagram)
In late February, another high profile case of alleged illegal alien crime made national news when Abdul Jalloh of Sierra Leone was charged with the murder in the stabbing death of Stephanie Minter in Fairfax County, Virginia.
Jalloh had 30 prior arrests.