The former cop, Elias Huizar, has been killed in a standoff with police after allegedly being responsible for the shooting of his current teen girlfriend and ex-wife while abducting a 1-year-old son.
In coordination with the Washington State Patrol on behalf of the West Richland Police Department, an Amber Alert was issued for a man who abducted his child and committed homicide.
Former Cop Standoff With Police
A former law enforcement officer from Washington, suspected of murdering his ex-wife and a younger girlfriend, has met a tragic end in Oregon following a high-stakes pursuit.
The suspect, identified as 39-year-old Elias Huizar, was characterized as armed, dangerous, and evading law enforcement. The pursuit culminated in a dramatic confrontation on Interstate 5, where Huizar, a former Yakima police officer, ultimately took his own life with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.
During the tumultuous ordeal, 1-year-old Roman Santos, the child at the center of the abduction, was discovered unharmed in the back seat of Huizar's vehicle.
Oregon State Police Captain Kyle Kennedy confirmed this development, stating that the child was safely taken into police custody following the resolution of the standoff.
The ex-law enforcement officer, who allegedly committed the heinous crimes of killing his ex-wife Amber Rodriguez and a 17-year-old identified as Angelica Santos, had been on the run for a mere 24 hours before meeting his fatal end.
Rodriguez was reportedly shot eight times outside an elementary school where she was employed, as witnessed by the former couple's 9-year-old son, who provided crucial information to law enforcement.
In the search for Huizar, authorities discovered the lifeless body of Angelica Santos at his residence, a heartbreaking revelation for her family, who also realized the disappearance of her one-year-old child, Roman Santos, indicating a possible abduction by Huizar.
The tragic saga underscores the complexities and dangers faced in law enforcement, highlighting the profound impact of domestic violence and the urgent need for swift and effective responses to such dire situations to safeguard innocent lives.
Ex-Officer's Previous Crime Records
Huizar's troubling history emerged in court records earlier this year, revealing disturbing details about his past actions. It was disclosed that he first encountered the victim during his tenure as a school resource officer at Washington Middle School in Yakima, when she was just 11 years old.
Shockingly, by the time she turned 15, he had already impregnated her, as documented in Rodriguez's petition for a protection order against Huizar.
Following his departure from the Yakima Police Department in 2021, reportedly due to disciplinary actions, Huizar transitioned into a role as a substitute teacher within the Richland School District.
However, his time there was cut short in February of this year when he was apprehended for allegedly sexually assaulting an unconscious 16-year-old acquaintance of his underage girlfriend after a night of drinking at his residence, according to district sources.
Huizar's court date regarding the child rape charges, along with his relationship with Angelica, coincided with the tragic events that unfolded. This grim turn of events occurred mere days after Rodriguez took steps to alter the custody arrangements for their shared children, aged 5 and 9, citing profound concerns for their safety.
Prior to these developments, Rodriguez had repeatedly voiced apprehensions about her ex-husband's behavior. She had reported that he was armed and had been subjecting her to harassment since their divorce in 2020. These fears were serious enough to prompt legal action, resulting in a protection order issued in February that prohibited Huizar from possessing firearms.
In the midst of escalating tensions, investigators initially suspected that Huizar might be attempting to flee with the infant to Mexico. This suspicion was compounded by reports indicating that he was armed and deemed "likely to commit more crimes," adding a sense of urgency and concern to the unfolding situation.
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