COTTONWOOD HEIGHTS, Utah (ABC 4 News) - Investigators are working to connect the dots in a Cottonwood Heights homicide investigation. It all started when police made a DUI car stop and the driver said his wife was dead at home.
Police used the information to enter a home at 7941 South Chadbourne Drive in Cottonwood Heights. They found Zita Gruodis' body at 4:15 p.m. Investigators suspect the 58-year-old woman was killed a few days ago.
"It's not really a surprise because there were cops over here all the time and we know there is a lot of violence that has happened in the house," said neighbor Sheri Walters.
Neighbors say Zita lived with her husband and daughter. One neighbor says the daughter punched Zita in the face a few years ago with enough force to leave damage and for police to take pictures.
"It was terrible and it's even worse when Zita just tries to help everybody. She didn't press charges on her daughter," said neighbor Randy Walters.
Other neighbors describe Zita as kind and loving woman. They say her husband was disabled and gruff and her daughter is described as erratic and unstable.
"We thought that they would be taken away first. Like locked up in a mental institution first because I think one of them had mental problems," said Sheri.
The investigation will continue into Monday night. A main focus of the investigation is to examine the injuries on Zita's body to uncover exactly how she died.
Early Tuesday morning, Airida Gruodis, Zita's daughter, was booked into jail on aggravated murder charges. She's also facing more charges after police say she tried to bite a police officer while she was being booked.
Zita's Husband, Peter Gruodis, was also booked into jail, but police tell us it is for an old warrant.
A probable cause statement obtained by ABC 4 indicated that officers discovered multiple stab wounds on Zita's body.
The PC statement also said that officers often visited the Cottonwood Heights home in prior months to investigate several domestic disturbances involving Zita and Airida.
