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Ex-school cop accused of killing ex-wife, teen girlfriend died after shooting himself in front of infant son during chaotic police standoff
Elias Huizar was trying to outrun cops almost 24 hours after police launched a manhunt for the accused double murderer.
nypost.com
Ex-school cop accused of killing ex-wife, teen girlfriend died after shooting himself in front of infant son during chaotic police standoff
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Social Links for Katherine Donlevy
Published April 24, 2024, 9:05 p.m. ET
The ex-Washington state school cop accused of gunning down his ex-wife and underage girlfriend killed himself in front of his infant son after a chaotic standoff with police, authorities confirmed Friday.
Elias Huizar, 39, was trying to outrun Oregon state troopers near Eugene on Tuesday, almost 24 hours after police launched a manhunt for the alleged double murderer, who took the teen’s 1-year-old son with him on the lam.
The former school resource officer topped speeds of 100 mph during the chase, before crashing into a highway median, according to troopers.
5 Elias Huizar died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound following a chaotic police chase. AP
Huizar exchanged gunfire with the officers before peeling off again, only to crash into a semi-truck farther down the interstate.
That’s when the alleged killer turned the gun on himself, firing one round to his head. Huizar was pronounced dead at the scene.
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“Since the start, our goal has been simply to bring Roman Santos home safely … and we’ve done that. Roman is safe in the care of Oregon officials, he is doing well,” said Oregon State Police Capt. Kyle Kennedy.
Investigators had launched a frantic manhunt for Huizar after he allegedly fatally shot ex-wife Amber Rodriguez outside the elementary school where she taught.
5 Huizar gunned down Amber Rodriguez outside the elementary school where she taught and in front of their son, police said. Amber Marie Rodriguez / Facebook
While on the hunt for the gunman, they found a second body in his Washington home — whom police positively identified Wednesday as Angelica Santos, the 17-year-old girl he was accused of raping and impregnating while he worked as a school resource officer at her middle school.
That’s when he took their infant and fled.
Huizar has been charged with Rodriguez’s death, but not yet with Santos.’ The young mother’s cause of death is also still under investigation.
5 Angelica Santos was found dead inside Huizar’s home after he allegedly murdered Rodriguez. Damien Santos / Facebook
The case is still shrouded in a myriad of unknowns, including which of the women was killed first or why the maniac allegedly went on the rampage, though West Richland Police Chief Thomas Grego said clues may lie in “pending criminal charges and of course, there was some domestic matters that were pending in court.”
Huizar was due in court to face child rape charges for his relationship with Angelica — and for allegedly raping her unconscious 16-year-old friend after a night of drinking — on the day of the slayings.
The vicious killing also came just days after Rodriguez filed to change the custody arrangements of the two kids they share, ages 5 and 9, claiming she feared for their safety.
5 Little Roman, Huizar and Santos’ lovechild, survived the massacre. KEZI
She had previously raised concerns over her ex-husband, who she said was armed and had been harassing her since their 2020 divorce.
The terrified mother began working as a paraprofessional at William Wiley Elementary School so she could keep a close eye on their 9-year-old son, a family friend told MSNBC.
Tragically, the boy was among several students who watched his father allegedly fire eight rounds at his mother.
5 Huizar was due in court the day of the slayings to face multiple child rape charges. NBC Right Now
Police are also working to uncover where the gun used in the massacre was obtained — Huizar was barred from owning any firearms under the protection order Rodriguez filed against him.
Huizar worked for the Yakima Police Department from 2014 through 2021, when he left “after receiving discipline,” the department said Tuesday without providing additional information.
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He met Angelica on the job while working as a school resource officer at Washington Middle School in Yakima. She was 11 when they met and 15 when he impregnated her, records show.
He then went on to work as a substitute teacher in the Richland School District until February of this year, when he was arrested for allegedly raping his underage girlfriend’s unconscious 16-year-old friend after a night of drinking at his home, according to the district.