Former Officer Dead After Allegedly Committing Serious Crimes

(USNewsBreak.com) – Authorities issue an Amber Alert to warn people to look out when someone has kidnapped a child. Earlier this week, police found two murder victims and a missing one-year-old in Washington, prompting them to send out a bulletin that extended to Oregon. A tip led authorities to track the suspect down, but he allegedly shot himself before police could take him into custody.

On Monday, April 22, around 3:30 p.m., school officials called the police to William Wiley Elementary School. Officers found someone had shot and killed a woman, Amber Rodriguez. They named her ex-husband, Elias Huizar, a suspect.

When investigators went to his residence to execute a search warrant, they happened upon another crime scene. This time, they found 17-year-old Angelina Santos dead and her one-year-old son, Roman Santos, missing. Officers issued an Amber Alert, hoping someone would notice the suspect and child and call in tips.

The following day, they received a call from a store clerk that Huizar might be in Portland, Oregon. They were able to track him down that afternoon, but he led law enforcement officials on a high-speed chase and engaged in a shootout with them. When officers made contact with the vehicle to stop it, the suspect allegedly took his own life using his gun. Authorities safely recovered the baby from the car.

Detectives have shed considerable light on Huizar in the aftermath of the crimes, including that he was a former Yakima, Washington, police officer. He worked with the department from 2014 to 2022, but the department dismissed him for disciplinary issues. The nature of the disciplinary infractions remained unclear. After leaving the force, he worked as a substitute teacher, where he began a relationship with Santos, a high school freshman. They had a child, Roman, but the relationship went sour shortly after.

Huizar’s ex-wife had a restraining order against him. Tara Symons, who served as the guardian ad litem during the couple’s divorce proceedings, told NBC News that Huizar’s history and potential actions terrified his ex-wife. Huizar was also facing multiple felony charges for assaulting a teenager and for carrying on a relationship with Santos, who was underage.