Utah woman sentenced for orchestrating deadly attack that killed her 21-year-old boyfriend

A Utah judge has sentenced 46-year-old Ariana Aguilar to a minimum of 17 years in prison after a jury found her guilty of orchestrating the fatal attack that claimed the life of her 21-year-old boyfriend, Jorge Llamas. According to Court TV, Aguilar was convicted of murder, burglary, obstruction of justice, and retaliation against a witness in connection with Llamas’ death on Oct. 13, 2024.

Judge Patricia Kuendig handed Aguilar two concurrent life sentences for murder and burglary. She also received consecutive sentences of up to 15 years for obstruction of justice and five years for retaliation, significantly extending the time she could remain behind bars.

The case centered on what prosecutors described as an argument between Aguilar and Llamas that spiraled into a deadly confrontation. While the defense insisted the violence was never part of Aguilar’s plan, prosecutors argued her actions set everything in motion, leaving the court to decide how much responsibility she carried for the fatal outcome.

It all started with an argument, but no one could have imagined where it would end

Prosecutors said Aguilar and Llamas argued earlier that night, prompting Llamas to lock her out of his home. Aguilar then called her daughter for a ride, and a second vehicle carrying several teenagers arrived soon afterward.

Prosecutor Brett Keeler told the court that Aguilar described the confrontation to the group, saying it began as a verbal dispute before becoming physical, and effectively indicated that they needed to “take care of” someone. The case also draws comparisons to another recent Florida homicide involving a football player killed by his girlfriend.

Aguilar’s attorney, Lance Bastian, disputed that version of events. He argued that Aguilar never asked for the teenagers to come and that her daughter arrived with several teens who were under the influence of drugs. According to Bastian, the group misinterpreted Aguilar’s description of the earlier fight as a call to act. He acknowledged Aguilar entered Llamas’ home with them but maintained she had no idea anyone was carrying a gun.

Bastian said one of the teenagers pistol-whipped Llamas after the group entered the bedroom, and testimony showed Aguilar yelled for them to stop. Moments later, another teenager pulled out a second gun and shot Llamas. While the others fled, Aguilar remained at the scene and applied pressure to Llamas’ wounds until police arrived.

The defense also said Aguilar later lied to investigators about the location of her cellphone and her daughter’s whereabouts, explaining she was trying to protect her daughter from becoming implicated. During Tuesday’s sentencing hearing, Llamas’ cousin, Miriam Diaz, urged the judge through an interpreter to impose more than the minimum sentence, saying Llamas would never return even if Aguilar was someday released.

Bastian described the tragedy as a night fueled by alcohol and poor decisions that spiraled beyond his client’s control once the teenagers became involved, adding that Aguilar will live with the consequences for the rest of her life.