Authorities in central Washington are searching for a man accused of murdering two women this week and abducting a 1-year-old child as he set out on the run. The suspect was identified as 40-year-old Elias Huizar, a former police officer who fled the scene of a deadly shooting at an elementary school that afternoon in the city of West Richland. He is believed to be armed and considered dangerous.
Huizar was seen driving a black sedan overnight Monday into Tuesday, the West Richland Police Department said in their latest social media update about the ongoing manhunt. They received the tip from police in Portland, Oregon.
Huizar allegedly shot one woman dead outside of William Wiley Elementary School before authorities executed a search warrant on his home and discovered the body of another homicide victim, West Richland police said after responding to the incident at around 3:30 p.m. PT. No other casualties were reported in connection with the shooting.
The women killed were Huizar’s ex-wife and girlfriend, according to an Amber Alert issued by Washington State Patrol on behalf of West Richland police at around 9:45 p.m. Monday night. It extends from Washington to Oregon. Richland Police did not share the identity of either of the two victims in their own statements about the murders, although they said the person found dead in Huizar’s home “is a known associate of the suspect.”
Huizar previously worked as a police officer in Yakima, which is about an hour from West Richland by car, CBS affiliate KIRO reported. His tenure with the police department lasted from 2014 to 2022. Earlier this year, Huizar was accused in Yakima of sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl and charged with second-degree rape and furnishing alcohol for minors, according to KEPR, another CBS affiliate in the area. Separately, Huizar faces a third-degree rape charge for allegedly having an intimate relationship over several years with a girl who is now 17 years old, according to the news station.
CBS contacted the Benton County Prosecutor’s Office, where the rape charges were brought against Huizar, for more information but did not receive an immediate reply.
The Amber Alert extends from Washington into Oregon, according to West Richland police. They believe Huizar is traveling to Mexico with the abducted child, and originally flagged to the public a silver 2009 Toyota Corolla with Washington state license plates, which police said he had used to flee the scene of the school shooting. It was issued for the apparent abduction of 1-year-old Roman Huizar, who officials described as 2 feet tall with brown hair and brown eyes. The child’s relationship to Elias Huizar was not explicitly noted.
Police have asked for help as they work to locate the suspect, as they said he “is likely to commit more crimes.” Huizar is 5 feet 6 inches tall with brown hair and brown eyes, according to the description. He was last seen wearing a black hat, a black long-sleeved shirt, light blue jeans and black shoes. The Amber Alert included images of both Huizar and the 1-year-old child.
Anyone who sees Huizar’s vehicle should call 911 to be directed to the West Richland homicide case, police said. His license plate number is CBZ4745.
