A former Washington state police officer named Elias Huizar was accused of killing his ex-wife and girlfriend, as well as kidnapping a baby. After a car chase with police in Oregon, he shot and killed himself. The Oregon State Patrol troopers spotted Huizar driving south on Interstate 5 near Eugene and engaged in a pursuit that ended in a fatal crash where Huizar took his own life. The 1-year-old boy that Huizar allegedly kidnapped was safely taken by the troopers, but the details of the kidnapping were not provided.
Huizar was charged with first-degree murder in the slaying of his ex-wife Amber Rodriguez at Wiley Elementary School in West Richland. He was also being investigated for the death of a woman found in his home. Witnesses at the school reported Huizar wearing black clothing and a black hat while shooting Rodriguez, and their 9-year-old son witnessed the attack. Huizar and Rodriguez have two children together. At the time of the shooting, Huizar was under conditional freedom due to previous accusations of rape involving minors.
The court documents detailed the alleged rapes involving Huizar and teens, stating that Huizar impregnated a 15-year-old girl he met while working as a resource officer at her middle school. An Amber Alert was issued for the kidnapped 1-year-old, with Huizar also being wanted for the murders of his ex-wife and girlfriend. The alert was extended to Oregon and other western regions. The West Richland Police Department warned that Huizar was armed and dangerous, likely to commit more crimes. Yakima Police Department confirmed that Huizar worked there from 2013 to 2022 as an officer before resigning following discipline in February 2022.
The Richland School District superintendent expressed disappointment that Huizar’s past with allegations of misconduct was not disclosed during the hiring process. Huizar underwent background checks and answered negatively to questions about prior resignations due to misconduct allegations. Huizar’s last day as a district employee was in June 2023. The tragic events involving Huizar have cast a shadow over his previous employment and the communities he was part of, leaving authorities and residents shocked and saddened by the outcome of the car chase and his subsequent suicide.
The sequence of events involving Huizar’s criminal activities, including the murder of his ex-wife and girlfriend, the alleged rapes, and the kidnapping, has raised questions about his background and behavioral patterns in his dealings with minors. The failure to disclose his disciplinary issues and allegations of misconduct to his employer and authorities casts doubts on the hiring processes and background checks conducted by the institutions he was associated with. The tragic end to the car chase and the loss of life as a result of Huizar’s actions have left a community grieving and seeking answers to the troubling series of events surrounding his actions and conduct.
