A former school police officer from Washington, Elias Huizar, who was accused of murdering his ex-wife and underage girlfriend before fleeing with the infant child of the latter, was discovered with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to his head, according to law enforcement officials. Oregon State Troopers located Huizar’s injured body after a police pursuit near Eugene at approximately 3 p.m. on Tuesday, as reported by the West Richland Police Department. His condition upon arrival at the hospital remains undisclosed.
The one-year-old child Huizar had allegedly abducted was safely recovered by the troopers. Huizar, 39, had been on the run for a mere 24 hours after reportedly shooting his ex-wife, Amber Rodriguez, eight times outside the elementary school where she was employed. The couple’s nine-year-old son reportedly witnessed the incident and informed officers that his father was the shooter.
While searching for Huizar, authorities discovered the body of his minor girlfriend, identified by family members as Angelica Santos, in his residence, which was located a short distance from the school. Santos’ family, upon realizing that the 17-year-old and Huizar’s one-year-old son, Roman Santos, were missing, suspected that the former officer had kidnapped the child.
Court documents filed earlier this year reveal that Huizar met Santos while serving as a school resource officer at Washington Middle School in Yakima. Santos was 11 at the time of their meeting and 15 when she became pregnant with Huizar’s child. Rodriguez had previously sought a protection order against Huizar, citing these details.
Huizar departed from the Yakima Police Department in 2021 following disciplinary action, the specifics of which were not disclosed by the department. He subsequently worked as a substitute teacher in the Richland School District until his arrest in February of this year. He was accused of sexually assaulting the unconscious 16-year-old friend of his minor girlfriend after a night of drinking at his residence, as per the district’s report.
Huizar was scheduled to appear in court to answer to the charges of child rape and his relationship with Santos on the day of the murders. The brutal killings occurred shortly after Rodriguez had filed to modify the custody arrangements for their two children, aged 5 and 9, expressing concerns for their safety. She had previously voiced concerns about her armed ex-husband, alleging that he had been harassing her since their divorce in 2020.
A protection order issued in February prohibited Huizar from possessing firearms. Initially, investigators believed Huizar was attempting to flee to Mexico with the baby, warning that he was armed and likely to commit further crimes.