EUGENE, Ore. — A man suspected of killing his ex-wife and a 17-year-old and abducting his 1-year-old child in eastern Washington, sparking a multi-state manhunt, was found Tuesday afternoon following a police chase near Eugene.
Authorities said the suspect, Elias Huizar, had a self-inflicted gunshot wound and was dead. The 1-year-old was rescued and is safe.
Police in Washington held a news briefing on the case Wednesday morning.
Huizar, 39, was the subject of a large-scale multi-state manhunt for just over a day, and was reportedly spotted in the Portland area early Tuesday morning.
In a press conference Tuesday evening, Oregon State Police said that a trooper parked along Interstate 5 just north of Eugene spotted Huizar's car around 2:40 p.m. The trooper tried to stop Huizar, but he sped away. Another trooper joined the chase, which was interrupted when Huizar crashed into another vehicle and lost control.
Troopers and Huizar exchanged gunfire before Huizar again fled south, OSP said; there are no injuries reported from the exchange of gunfire.
South of Coburg, Huizar crashed into a commercial vehicle that had been stopped for another crash. Huizar's vehicle spun into the median, OSP said, rendering it immobile. Troopers found Huizar dead from a gunshot wound to the head, and 1-year-old Roman unharmed.
"Roman is doing well and being cared for," confirmed Captain Kyle Kennedy of the Oregon State Police. “All day, our thoughts have been how to rescue this young boy and we’re thankful for the outcome that occurred.”
The Lane County Sheriff's Office will lead the investigation, OSP said. Members of the sheriff's office, Eugene Police Department and Coburg Police Department were still at the scene investigating as of Tuesday evening, said the Oregon State Police.
The shooting and investigation prompted a closure of the I-5 southbound lanes about eight miles north of Eugene that lasted for hours.
Background
Huizar was suspected of shooting and killing his ex-wife, 31-year-old Amber Marie Rodriguez, on Monday outside an elementary school in West Richland, about 3.5 hours outside Portland in the Tri-Cities area.
According to a probable cause document, Rodriguez, an employee at the school, was shot several times in her head and torso, and Huizar continued firing once she fell facedown on the ground. Huizar's 9-year-old son said he saw his father shoot his mother. Richland Superintendent Shelley Redinger said Huizar waited behind an area at the school where he knew Rodriguez would be and then shot her.
After the shooting, Huizar allegedly ran to his car and fled the scene.
"There are no words to express how deeply saddened we are by the targeted domestic-violence incidents that took place," Redinger said. "This is a tragedy nobody in our community should have to experience."
Police found the body of a second victim when they searched Huizar's home later that day, later identified by police and her family as 17-year-old Angelica Santos.
Huizar was due in court the morning of the alleged murders for charges of raping a teen girl in February. According to court documents that redacted the names of his alleged victims, police learned that Huizar had been in a relationship with a 17-year-old who reportedly caught him sexually assaulting her 16-year-old friend at their home on Feb. 3.
Court documents said he met the 17-year-old when he was a school resource officer at her middle school. She told police they reconnected when she was 15 years old and had their baby when she turned 16.
Huizar was suspected to have kidnapped his 1-year-old son, Roman Huizar, prompting an Amber Alert to be issued Monday night. Washington State Patrol believed Huizar was trying to get to Mexico, warning the public he was armed and dangerous.
Huizar is a former Yakima police officer and left the department in late 2021 after receiving discipline, according to the Yakima Police Department.
“The tragedies we are learning about in West Richland are heartbreaking. Words cannot express the deep sympathy we feel for all affected by these terrible acts of violence,” Chief Murray said. “We remain ready to assist in any way we are able.”
This is a breaking news story and will be updated as more information becomes available.