An Amber Alert is out for 1-year-old Roman Huizar, left, who was allegedly taken by father Elias Huizar, right, in West Richland, Washington. Huizar also is accused of killing his girlfriend and ex-wife. (Washington State Patrol)
A former cop died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound after he allegedly killed his ex-wife outside a Washington state elementary school and his girlfriend at his home before kidnapping his 1-year-old son who was found safe, police say.
According to the West Richland Police Department, the Oregon State Patrol located 39-year-old Elias Huizar driving on Interstate 5 near Eugene around 3 p.m. During the pursuit, Huizar died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Cops found t he 1-year-old, Roman Huizar, unharmed.
Investigators say Huizar shot his ex-wife “on the grounds” of Wiley Elementary School in West Richland, Washington, shortly before 3:30 p.m. Monday as students were being dismissed. Cops responded and pronounced the woman, identified as Amber Rodriguez, dead. Huizar fled the scene in a Toyota Corolla.
As West Richland police and other agencies were serving a search warrant at Huizar’s home, they found another person dead. Cops identified the victim as his girlfriend, but did not give her name.
Roman is reportedly Huizar’s son.
The shooting caused a chaotic scene at the school. Chris Worley told the Tri-City Herald he was in his backyard when he heard four or five gunshots.
“I thought it was someone hitting something with a hammer. It didn’t sound like a gun. Then a woman came flying out here before the cops even got here and started screaming that someone was shot,” he reportedly said.
School officials rushed the students back inside to safety. No one else was hurt.
Rodriguez worked as a paraeducator at the school. The two were divorced in 2020 and she filed for a protection order in February after Huizar was charged with raping a teenager, the Herald reported.
Huizar worked for the Yakima Police Department from 2009-2022. Huizar left the department for disciplinary reasons, the department said. It did not reveal the nature of the discipline. Huizar went on to work as a substitute teacher at the Richland School District from February 2022 until his arrest in February.
Local outlets reported Huizar was charged with raping a sleeping 16-year-old girl. Pasco CBS affiliate KEPR, citing court documents, reported that when he was a cop with the Yakima Police, Huizar worked as a school resource officer at a middle school and met a girl, now 17, whom he considers his “girlfriend.” Cops didn’t say whether it’s the same person found dead Monday night.
Court documents reportedly said he reconnected with the girl when she was 15 and got her pregnant. She had the baby when she was 16. It’s unclear whether that baby is Roman. On Feb. 2, the girl and her 16-year-old friend drank at Huizar’s house. The friend allegedly became sick and the two girls fell asleep. The documents reportedly say the girlfriend woke up to Huizar sexually assaulting her friend. The girls fled and contacted police. When cops went to his house he allegedly barricaded himself in his house for two hours and tried to clean up evidence before they took him into custody.
He was charged with second-degree rape and furnishing alcohol to minors. He also faced a third-degree rape charge for the relationship with the girl he got pregnant. Huizar had posted a $200,000 bail and remained free on bond as the cases were pending.
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