Boyfriend charged with killing College of Utah scholar who had prior to now referred to as police for lend a hand

Haoyu Wang faces 3 criminal counts within the demise of Zhifan Dong.

A 19-year-old College of Utah scholar referred to as police for lend a hand in January after she mentioned her boyfriend attacked her. Little greater than month later, that guy has now been charged in her Feb. 11 killing.

Haoyu Wang, 26, was once charged Friday with homicide and two counts of ownership of illicit medication with the intent to distribute in reference to the demise of Zhifan Dong. Each have been global scholars on the U. from China.

“Our place of job intends to do the whole thing in our energy to carry a measure of justice for the sufferer and [her] circle of relatives,” Salt Lake County District Legal professional Sim Gill mentioned in a observation Friday at the fees. Wang is being held in prison with out bail.

Gill referred to as it “a sad case” and mentioned he met this week with Dong’s folks, who flew to Salt Lake Town after their daughter’s demise. College leaders even have met together with her folks. U. spokesperson Chris Nelson mentioned the circle of relatives is recently inquiring for privateness as they grieve.

Dong was once a freshman on the U. who got here to the college thru Utah International, which is helping immerse first-year global scholars within the instructional and cultural lifetime of the college. She was once from Anyang, Henan province, China.

Police say she was once killed in a home violence state of affairs previous this month at a Salt Lake Town motel. The slaying came about a few month after a prior Jan. 12 home violence-related name from Dong that Salt Lake Town officials additionally replied to.

The charging paperwork Friday showed for the primary time that Dong was once the reported sufferer in that January name. Wang was once charged on the time with home violence-related attack, consistent with court docket paperwork. He instructed police that he had hit Dong within the head all the way through a controversy. Emergency responders famous that Dong had a lump the place she mentioned she was once harm.

The day after the incident, Dong “referred to as police once more because of Wang’s conduct,” the court docket submitting notes.

A Salt Lake Town police spokesperson declined to touch upon what sources have been presented to Dong at that time, if any, or whether or not they referred to as the U. to tell the college concerning the attack. A U. spokesperson mentioned he was once now not acutely aware of the college being alerted to the placement in January.

That sharing of knowledge between departments must now be commonplace observe, following the homicide of U. scholar Lauren McCluskey. And others faculties within the state, akin to Southern Utah College, paintings with their native municipal police departments to be in contact on instances involving scholars.

Dong is the second one Chinese language scholar on the U. to be killed in not up to 5 years. In the past, scholar ChenWei Guo was once shot east of campus in October 2017.

In that very same period of time, 3 feminine scholars have been killed on account of intimate spouse violence.

Dong was once discovered lifeless at a High quality Inn at 616 S. 200 West all the way through a welfare take a look at by means of Salt Lake Town police, in a room that have been registered to Wang since Feb. 3. Officials have been referred to as there after the U.’s police division alerted them that Wang had allegedly made threats to Dong, whom he known as his female friend.

Charging paperwork launched Friday state that Wang had emailed a U. worker and mentioned he and Dong have been going to make use of medication to “have a painless demise.” The message indicated that the couple could be lifeless earlier than they have been discovered.

Salt Lake Town police, helping College of Utah officials, arrived on the motel after pinging Dong’s cellular phone location.

Wang instructed police that he and Dong meant to die by means of suicide in combination, and that he had ordered medication at the “darkish web” the usage of bitcoin, consistent with the possible motive observation. Wang mentioned they each took the ones medication, and Dong turned into unresponsive.

Paperwork state Wang fell asleep, and when he aroused from sleep, he spotted Dong was once having bother respiring. As an alternative of calling an ambulance, the court docket filings state, he injected her with a bigger dose of substances. She then died.

Wang instructed police he then injected himself with medication once more and remained within the room till officials arrived.

U. President Taylor Randall has expressed sympathy for Dong’s demise and condolences to her circle of relatives. He mentioned the campus is mourning “the tragic demise of one in all our personal,” particularly Dong’s friends in class’s global scholar program.

Editor’s word • Those that are experiencing intimate spouse violence, or know anyone who’s, are instructed to name the Utah Home Violence Hyperlink Line, 1-800-897-LINK (5465), or the Utah Rape and Sexual Attack Disaster Line, 1-888-421-1100. In the event you or other people you already know are liable to self-harm, the Nationwide Suicide Prevention Lifeline supplies 24-hour enhance at 1-800-273-8255.