The ex-Washington police officer who went on the lam Monday after allegedly killing his ex-wife and teenage girlfriend has shot himself while fleeing from law enforcement.
Elias Huizar, 40, was discovered near Eugene, Oregon, after the Oregon State Patrol located his vehicle driving southbound on I-5, the West Richland Police Department announced on Facebook. Police pursued the vehicle, and Huizar got into a minor crash, CBS News reported.
Huizar and police exchanged gunfire before he was able to drive away again, with no one hurt. Huizar then crashed into another vehicle several miles away and was found dead with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, Oregon State Police Cpt. Kyle Kennedy announced Tuesday night, according to CBS.
After allegedly killing his ex-wife and teenage girlfriend, Huizar abducted his 1-year-old son, Roman, who was taken into custody by state troopers and is reportedly safe.
The murders and abduction occurred on the day that Huizar was due in court to face allegations that he raped a 16-year-old girl, the New York Post reported.
Huizar allegedly shot his ex-wife Amber Rodriquez at the William Wiley Elementary School, where she is listed as a paraeducator, on Monday afternoon. Last Friday, Rodriguez filed documents for a change in custody for the two sons she shares with Huizar, who are 5 and 9 years old, the Herald reported. It is unclear where those kids are at this time. The couple divorced in 2020.
The school went into lockdown. A resident who lives near the school told the Herald that he heard everything from his backyard, including 4-5 gunshots.
“I thought it was someone hitting something with a hammer. It didn’t sound like a gun. Then a woman came flying out here before the cops even got here and started screaming that someone was shot…” the resident told the outlet.
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The shooting occurred as school was being let out and students were getting onto buses or picked up by their parents. The Herald reported that parents abandoned their cars in the parking lot to flee as police officers began searching for Huizar.
Hours after the shooting, police searched Huizar’s home and found the body of another person, according to the West Richland Police Department. While the police declined to identify the second victim except to say they were an associate of Huizar, the Amber Alert released by police suggests that the second victim is Huizar’s teenage girlfriend.
Huizar was also being investigated for allegedly raping a teenage friend of his girlfriend. Police were also investigating the legality of his relationship with his girlfriend. The age of consent in Washington is 16, and Huizar’s girlfriend is alleged to have been 16.
If you are having thoughts of suicide, call or text 988 to reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline or go to SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for a list of additional resources.