Tri-Cities man shoots himself in the head after allegedly killing 2, kidnapping child

Oregon State Patrol has found Elias Huizar, a Tri-Cities man who is accused of abducting a 1-year-old boy after allegedly killing two people Monday night, dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound after a pursuit by Oregon State Patrol.

According to the West Richland Police Department (RPD), around 3 p.m. on Tuesday, troopers saw the man driving on Interstate 5 (I-5) south near Eugene, Oregon and chased him.

Oregon police said the chase lasted several miles before Huizar crashed into a car in front of him and spun into the median.

Police reported the man shot himself in the head and was found dead in his car.

The 1-year-old child was taken safely into custody by the Oregon troopers.

RPD said more information will be released at a press conference Wednesday morning.

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Huizar was a Yakima police officer from 2014 to 2022 and is suspected of murdering his ex-wife and girlfriend in two separate homicides Monday in West Richland.

The first homicide occurred at Wiley Elementary School — where it is believed Huizar’s wife worked — when the West Richland Police Department was called to the campus regarding a reported shooting at 3:30 p.m. A woman was found dead outside of the school. There were no other injuries.

Police originally believed this to be an isolated incident until officers discovered a second homicide victim during a search of Huizar’s home just after 8 p.m. later that day.

At 9:44 p.m. Monday, the WSP issued an Amber Alert for a 1-year-old boy, Roman Huizar, as, according to officials, it is believed that Elias Huizar took the child with the possibility of fleeing to Mexico.

Roman Huizar is approximately 2 feet tall, 25 pounds with brown hair and eyes.

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Elias Huizar, 39, is approximately 5 feet, 6 inches tall and weighs 170 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes. He is considered armed and dangerous and was last seen wearing a black hat, black long-sleeved shirt, light blue jeans and black shoes. He drove off in a 2009 silver Toyota Corolla with a Washington license plate number: CBZ-4745.

Previous charges against Elias Huizar

In February, Elias Huizar was accused of raping a 16-year-old girl after a night of drinking, according to KEPR, with court documents filed by the Benton County Prosecutors Office revealing he was charged with having illegal sexual relations with multiple minors.

Huizar met the 16-year-old victim while working as a school resource officer at a middle school. The 16-year-old victim was friends with a now-17-year-old girl Huizar had been allegedly dating for approximately two years, according to court documents acquired by KEPR. Huizar got his girlfriend pregnant when she was 15 years old, eventually having the baby at 16. She told investigators they stayed together as a couple after having the child, according to court documents.

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The 16-year-old victim was assaulted after the three of them spent a night drinking together. When the two girls fell asleep, he began sexually assaulting his girlfriend’s 16-year-old friend. The 17-year-old girlfriend eventually woke up and stopped him, leading to a verbal confrontation before the two girls contacted police and left the home in his truck.

Court documents claimed it took two hours to get Huizar in custody, including needing the use of a SWAT team.

Among his charges are rape in the second degree, furnishing alcohol for minors and a separate charge for third-degree rape for his alleged relationship with the 17-year-old.

Contributing: Julia Dallas, MyNorthwest; Lisa Brooks, KIRO Newsradio; KIRO 7; KEPR TV

Frank Sumrall is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read his stories here and you can email him here.