Police are urgently searching for a man after two women were shot dead and a 1-year-old boy was abducted in Washington State before possibly fleeing toward the Mexico border on Monday, authorities said.
Elias Huizar, 39, a former police officer, is “armed and considered dangerous, and is likely to commit more crimes,” Washington State Patrol said. He was due to appear in court on Monday on charges of child rape, according to KNDU, NBC News’ affiliate in the Tri-Cities Area.
Police identified him as a person of interest after a woman was shot dead at the end of the school day at Wiley Elementary School in West Richland, in Benton County Washington.
West Richland Police Department said in a statement that officers were called at 3.23 p.m. Monday and that “one adult female was pronounced deceased at the scene outside of the school.” The victim was not identified.
The shooter fled the scene and no one else was injured as the school was placed in lockdown, police said, adding that at this point it was thought to be an isolated incident.
But later on Monday night police said the body of a second woman was found at Huizar’s home after they had obtained a search warrant. No information was given about the woman except that she was “a known associate of the suspect.”
Washington State Patrol put out an amber alert for Roman Huizar, described as 2 feet in height, with brown hair and brown eyes.
Elias Huizar is described as 5ft 6in with brown hair and brown eyes and was driving a Silver 2009 Toyota Corolla. The alert said he was “possibly headed to Mexico” and urged anyone who sees him to call 911.
The relationship between Huizar and the missing child was not immediately clear.
He appeared in court on Feb. 15 accused with child rape, where a lawyer entered a not-guilty plea on his behalf.
Court documents seen by KNDU said that Huizar is alleged to have sexually assaulted a teenager while she was sleeping in his home in February this year. This was witnessed and reported by another teenager, the documents say.
No-contact orders were issued for the alleged victims in the case, who were described as teenagers, meaning Huizar can’t go within 1,000 feet of their schools, homes or workplaces, or have any contact with minors under 16.
Prosecuting attorney Anita Petra told the February hearing that this order would ban contact between Huizar and his own child.
The Yakima Police Department told KNDU that Huizar was an officer there from 2013 to 2022.