A former Washington state police officer accused of killing his ex-wife and his female friend, in addition to kidnapping a baby, shot and killed himself at the end of a automobile chase with police in Oregon, government stated Tuesday.
Oregon State Patrol soldiers in search of suspect Elias Huizar, 39, noticed him using south on Interstate 5 close to Eugene about 2:40 p.m., Oregon State Police Capt. Kyle Kennedy stated at a night news convention.
A pursuit ensued and at one level the suspect misplaced keep an eye on of the automobile he used to be using and exchanged gunfire with pursuing soldiers, Kennedy stated. No accidents have been reported, and the chase persisted south, he stated.
After coming near sluggish site visitors, Huizar hit a stopped automobile and spun into a mean, the captain stated. Huizar’s automobile then become motionless and, as soldiers “contacted” the automobile, the suspect shot himself in the top, Kennedy stated.
The 1-year-old boy Huizar had allegedly abducted used to be safely taken through soldiers, Kennedy stated. Authorities didn’t element how they believed the kid used to be abducted.
No accidents have been reported in the second one and ultimate crash about 25 miles from the beginning of the chase, the captain stated.
“Today was a worst-case scenario for us — having a murder suspect in the same vehicle as an innocent juvenile,” Kennedy stated. “That brings everything up another level for us. It’s a zero-sum game for us. We’re thankful for the way it turned out.”
Huizar used to be charged with first-degree homicide in Monday’s slaying of Amber Rodriguez, 31, at Wiley Elementary School in West Richland as categories have been being let loose in a while prior to 3:30 p.m., Benton County Prosecutor Eric Eisinger stated all through a Tuesday afternoon news convention.
The fee of homicide contains an annoyed circumstance allegation of home violence, in addition to a firearm enhancement, Eisinger stated.
Huizar used to be additionally being investigated in the dying of a girl whose frame used to be came upon later Monday when government searched his house. That sufferer has now not been recognized however used to be described in an Amber Alert from Washington State Patrol as Huizar’s female friend.
According to a courtroom record filed in opposition to Huizar on Monday, witnesses at Wiley Elementary School stated a gunman dressed in black clothes and a black hat shot Rodriguez. Eight .40-caliber bullet casings have been recovered at the scene. Rodriguez used to be recognized after the killing in phase via her faculty worker ID, the paperwork stated.
The pair’s 9-year-old son witnessed the taking pictures, in step with the courtroom submitting. The former husband and spouse have two kids in combination, in step with courtroom paperwork.
At the time of the taking pictures at the college, Huizar used to be below conditional freedom after being accused of third-degree rape of a kid and second-degree rape, Eisinger stated. His overall bail were set at $250,000, the prosecutor famous.
According to a separate courtroom submitting about Huizar’s alleged rapes, two teenagers went to police in early February after a 17-year-old woman — whom prosecutors in the submitting stated recognized herself as Huizar’s female friend — informed officials she aroused from sleep to Huizar appearing oral intercourse on her 16-year-old pal, who used to be “passed out” in the end 3 were ingesting alcohol.
Huizar and the 17-year-old “have a child in common,” the submitting stated. Huizar met her when he used to be a useful resource officer at her heart faculty and were given her pregnant when she used to be 15 years previous, courtroom information stated.
The youngster took the baby and drove off together with her 16-year-old pal after February’s alleged incident, prior to flagging down police, the courtroom submitting stated.
Washington State Patrol on Monday had issued an Amber Alert for the 1-year-old. The state patrol had stated Huizar and the boy shared the similar ultimate identify, however the dating between them used to be now not straight away transparent Tuesday afternoon. It used to be additionally now not straight away transparent whether or not the kid used to be the similar one Huizar had with the 17-year-old.
The alert used to be prolonged from Washington to Oregon in addition to different puts in the west, Eisinger stated. The alert additionally stated the ladies killed have been Huizar’s ex-wife and his female friend.
Kennedy stated Oregon State Police gained a request to factor the alert about 10:30 p.m. Monday and put it into impact about an hour later.
The West Richland Police Department stated previous that Huizar used to be “armed and considered dangerous, and is likely to commit more crimes.” Portland police told West Richland authorities that Huizar was seen in the Oregon city overnight, possibly driving a black sedan.
The Yakima Police Department in Washington said Huizar was an officer there from 2013 to 2022.
“He did serve as a school resource officer for a period of time, at a couple schools during his employment. Mr. Huizar resigned in February of 2022, immediately following discipline,” a division spokesperson stated.
Shelley Redinger, superintendent of the Richland School District, said Huizar passed background checks and answered no to questions that included whether he had ever resigned from an employer with allegations of misconduct pending or if he’d ever been the subject of a workplace investigation accusing him of misconduct.
Redinger said Huizar’s last day as a district employee was in June 2023.
“We are extremely disheartened. That information about his past was not disclosed to us,” she stated. “It is expectation for individuals who apply for employment with the Richland school district to be forthcoming and truthful in their applications.”