Richard Paul Rodriguez, a 34-year-old man from Arizona, is accused of unlawfully entering the mobile home he shared with his girlfriend, Christi Lynn Romero, 54. Shockingly, he allegedly killed her, then drove her car across state lines to his parents' house in California, where her body was discovered in the trunk after she had recently filed a protection order against him.
Rodriguez now faces a murder charge in connection with Romero's death.
The distressing case came to light on Monday when Holbrook police responded to a reported missing person at the mobile home in Holbrook, Arizona. The door showed signs of forced entry, Romero was nowhere to be found in the trailer, and her car was missing from outside.
Rodriguez, who had been served an order of protection and removed from the home on November 2, became the subject of a police search. Holbrook Police Chief Nathan Christensen explained, “We got called by the Navajo County constable in this district to help serve an order of protection and remove Richard from the residence if he was there.”
Despite staying at a local homeless shelter, Rodriguez was not located there on Monday, prompting police to release a nationwide "Attempt to Locate" bulletin for Romero, Rodriguez, and her vehicle.
Using cellphone location data, authorities tracked Rodriguez along Interstate 10, heading to California. Gas station surveillance footage showed Rodriguez in her car, but Romero was not present.
Rodriguez eventually arrived at his parents' home in Huntington Beach, California. His father called 911 when Rodriguez instructed him not to open the trunk. Officers, responding to the call, discovered Romero's body in the trunk.
Romero's devastated family described her as a loving and caring woman, emphasizing the profound impact her loss has had on them.
Chief Christensen mentioned that Rodriguez, currently in custody in California, may face additional charges, including kidnapping, burglary, aggravated assault, and vehicle theft. Authorities are collaborating with the Huntington Beach Police Department and have informed the FBI of the ongoing case.
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