Kayley Vijil found murdered after she was 'lured from Utah house' by a boy

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Kayley Vijil was 'killed' half a mile from her West Valley City, Utah, home
Police found her body in a pasture behind the suspect's house
Her mother ran to a convenience store to say she hadn't returned home
A boy had come to the door of their home, asking her to come outside
He had reportedly asked a number of girls to come out and play that night
The youngster's remains showed signs of trauma, police said
Police say a 'good-natured child was fooled and made a mistake she paid the ultimate price for'

Published: 00:45 EST, 18 July 2015 | Updated: 01:03 EST, 18 July 2015

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Kayley Vijil, 12, was found dead less than half a mile from her home in West Valley City, Utah, after she was allegedly lured by her house by a 15-year old boy who had just been released from juvenile detention

A 12-year-old girl who was allegedly lured from her home and killed by a 15-year-old boy from the neighborhood has been pictured, hours after her body was discovered in a field.

Kayley Vijil, was found dead less than half a mile from her home in West Valley City, Utah, on Friday morning.

The alarm was raised after mother rushed to a local 7-Eleven at around 1.30am because she could not find her daughter.

Her body, which showed signs of trauma, was found at 3am less than four blocks away in a horse pasture behind the suspect's house.

It came hours after a boy, who had recently been released from a juvenile detention center, came to a door and supposedly asked her to come outside to play - an offer which the girl's parents allegedly accepted.

West Valley City Police Chief Lee Russo said on Friday: 'I believe a good-natured child was fooled and unfortunately made a mistake she paid the ultimate price for.

'This young girl thought she was helping somebody.'

According to the Deseret News, the same boy had asked other neighbors, around Kaley's age, just 15 minutes earlier if they could help him find a pregnant cat.

He said that the girl had not been contacted by her parents since midnight.

The teenage boy, who did not know the family well, was said to have been persuaded to leave her home just after midnight.

In one disturbing instance since he was supposedly freed from custody, he had allegedly asked another neighborhood girl to come look at his fort in an abandoned house.

On another occasion he asked a five-year-old girl if she wanted to come out and play - ignoring two boys aged 10 and 12 who were in the house at the same time.

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The body of suburban Salt Lake City's Kaley Vijil, 12, was found in an overgrown horse pasture near her home at 3am Friday morning

The girl was said to be lured out of her house by someone the family did not know around midnight. Above, police officers search the pasture for additional evidence on Friday

Vijil was not considered a run away and was believed to have left her house willingly after being lured outside by the teenage neighborhood boy

Mia Montana, eight, told the paper that she declined his offer and then told her parents.

'It just scared me, and I when I'm scared I'm supposed to go tell my mom. I was in shock because I know about girls being kidnapped and I just want to stay with my family and be happy.'

He was arrested at 1:30pm on Friday and will initially be charged with murder as a juvenile. Because he is under the age of 18 his name has not been released by the authorities.

The department say they had no prior dealings with him.

The 15-year-old's family released a statement to the newspaper saying: 'Our hearts and prayers are with the Vijil family and may God comfort all families hurt by this terrible tragedy.'

Police said that Kaley and the suspect had not been texting, and that the communication between them solely occurred at the door of her home.

The parents allegedly knew their daughter had left the house, but went out looking for her after she failed to return.

They finally told police in person at their local convenience store,The Deseret News reported.

Authorities believe that the girl, whose family had recently moved to the area, was killed near the location she was found.

The pasture where she was discovered was overgrown, with grass growing as high as four feet tall, according to police.

Police were able to find the girl behind a row of homes by tracking her cell phone, though the device was not found on the body.

Vijil, who was last seen at midnight was discovered behind a row of houses (pictured) in West Valley City, Utah, was found after police tracked her cell phone. Above, police cordon off one of the homes

Police have obtained a warrant to search one of the homes near the field and had 15-year-old suspect in custody as of Friday afternoon

Body of 12-year-old Utah girl found less than a mile from home

He said that he could not comment on whether sexual abuse was involved in the attack.

Authorities had earlier in the day obtained a search warrant for a house near the pasture, which was connected to the 15-year-old.

Police said that they found a 'depression in vegetation' and 'indication of crime' a short distance from the body.

Evidence at the scene also was said to link the suspect to the crime.

West Valley City police spokesman Roxeanne Vainuku said that she could not elaborate on what indicated a crime at the scene when asked by Daily Mail Online.

No one else is currently suspected in the death.

Authorities have not yet released a cause of death in the case and would not comment in specifics on the trauma Vijil suffered.

Police said that there was no information to suggest stabbing or gunshot wounds.