Inform readers of the events leading to the deaths of Amber and Angelica in a clear and easy to follow format.
Investigate how this happened, particularly investigating systems and policies that failed to protect Amber, Angelica, and their children.
Provide readers with information on what can be changed to prevent future tragedies, who is currently working towards those changes and how to support them.
Tri-Cities Timeline is sponsored by Tumbleweird. It is an ongoing project that we will continue to update as we learn more.
Tri-Cities Timeline written and updated by Chiarra Lohr and the Tumbleweird Team.
Each timeline entry has the date, a title, and a description. Wherever possible we will link to the public records document we used as a source. Italicized text are quotes taken from those documents. We also provide election information for any public officials involved and any action steps community members can take.
Amber Rodriguez, 31, Huizar’s ex-wife and victim.
Elias Huizar, 39
Facebook: Yakima Police Department
Angelica Santos, 17, Huizar’s underage victim.
This timeline contains details of domestic violence and sexual abuse, including of children. I have tried to strike a balance between providing details without being gratuitous. I have included pictures and quotes from Amber and Angelica because I want to make sure we always humanize them.
-Chiarra Lohr
2008
While attending Dickinson State University in North Dakota, Huizar was arrested in the fall of his senior year. First Huizar was accused of terrorizing people with a knife during a fight with other students. The next night Huizar was arrested and charged with criminal trespassing in connection to a burglary at the same house the fight had occurred at. All charges were dismissed.
Source Document (police report)
January 11, 2019
While at school, Angelica and another student were involved in a physical fight. Huizar, as the school resource officer, broke up the fight by himself. Angelica was suspended for 5 days, the other student was not. Vice Principal at Washington Middle School, Sara Cordova, noted that:
“Angelica had a history of fighting and disrespectful behavior which lead[led] to the decision to impose that punishment as a form of progressive discipline.”
Source Document p.22
January-February 2019
Washington Principal William Hilton stated that after the fight incident they noticed Angelica was following Huizar around campus and standing by him in the mornings and during lunch. Principal Hilton talked to Angelica and her grandmother about the behavior and told Angelica to stop doing it. This was not reported to the Yakima School District (YSD) or the Yakima Police Department (YPD).
Source Document p. 25
March 5, 2019
A student reported that Angelica was posting messages on SnapChat that she and Huizar were dating. Principal Hilton stated the student who made the report had a history “of making false accusations and he didn’t feel it was valid” (p. 25). Vice Principal Cordova stated other students began reporting the same thing to the School Security Officer and to the office (p.23).
Principal Hilton talked to Angelica about the postings and she denied making them. Angelica’s grandmother denied that it was true. This was not reported to the YSD, DSHS/CPS or YPD. Principal Hilton said “We handled it – we couldn’t verify it” (p.25).
Angelica was 12 at the time.
Source Document
May 8, 2019
Principal Hilton had the students write out statements. The school also took pictures of the messages the students said Angelica had sent over Snapchat. The first statements are dated May 8.
“Angelica is telling the whole school that she is dating the officer and they did it in his house and the car and they text about sexting.”
May 17, 2019
A student’s parent called the school to say that his daughter told him that “Angelica was going around school telling people that she lost her virginity to Officer Huizar and that there were having a relationship” (p.15).
Principal Hilton met with Angelica and her grandmother and showed them the posts and statements. “Angelica denied that she made the posts and said her account must have been hacked“ (p. 26). He then put Angelica on emergency expulsion.
A later report by Captain Boyle, YPD, made this statement about the expulsion: “Cordova [Vice Principal] and Hilton [Principal] explained they believed Angelica was seeking attention and the allegations were false. They both believed Angelica was not telling the truth about the incident and that is why they expelled Angelica for the false allegations.” (p.8)
May 17, 2019
Principal Hilton notified the Yakima School District Office. He also informed Huizar that “that rumors were being spread about me.” Principal Hilton did not inform the Yakima Police Department.
May 21, 2019
The Yakima Police Department was not aware of the allegations of Huizar having a sexual relationship with a student until May 21. Huizar was told to report to the police department instead of Washington Middle School.
Source Document
May 22, 2019
In the morning of May 22 two YPD officers, one a special assault unit detective, went to Washington Middle School. They interviewed Principal Hilton and Vice Principal Cordova. The officers also collected incident reports and notes from Angelica’s expulsion and past discipline reports as well as copies of the instant messages shared by students.
The YPD also discussed the best way to handle the investigation, including having an outside investigation.
Source Document
May 23, 2019
A YPD officer made a formal referral to notify CSP of the allegations, though the later records show that the DCYF (Division of Children, Youth & Families) did not assigned a social worker for investigation (p. 43).
The officer also contacted Angelica’s grandmother to make sure their family had access to available resources and have a victim advocate assigned to work with Angelica. With the grandmother’s permission, the officer contacted ASPEN victim advocacy.
“[The grandmother] told me that she did not believe the “poor officer” did anything with Angelica and that she didn’t want to see the officer suffer harm for something that didn’t happen.” (p.17)
Source Document
May 24, 2019
A YPD officer collected records at Washington Middle School. The officer collected copies of Angelica’s school records (with a signed release), the profiles of the student witnesses and their written statements. To protect privacy rights, the officer logged the written statements into evidence without reviewing them.
Read MoreJune 3, 2019
Senior Investigator Graham from the Attorney General’s office assigned to assist the YPD with the sexual assault investigation.
June 3, 2019
Principal Hilton met with Angelica that morning before class and “told her not to talk about why she was suspended or talk about Huizar.” He also informed Angelica’s grandmother that this was a condition of Angelica’s return to school.
Source Document (p.26)
June 6, 2019
Investigator Graham from the Attorney General’s office first met with the Yakima Chief of Police and other staff, then went to Washington Middle School to interview the Principal, Vice Principal and Security Officer. Each relayed a history of the events and their actions thus far.
“Asked if she[Vice Principal] has any concerns about Huizar or his conduct at school with Angelica or any other student, Cordova said she doesn’t. She said she doesn’t believe the ruomors or postings are true.” (p.24)
“Asked if he had any concerns about Huizar, Hilton[Principal] said that when Huizar first started at the school there was some questions about the humor he was using around students. It was reported to him by some teachers that Huizar was making comments such as ‘I’m your daddy’ to students. Hilton said he counselled Huizar about it . . . he flt Huizar was doing it simply to be funny.” (p. 26)
“He[Washington School Security Officer] didn’t want to get involved with it[the allegations] because it was a serious matter and he would refer any student who would talk about it to Principal Hilton. He said he never interviewed any student about it.” (p.27)
Source Document
June 5
Though communication between the advocate and Angelica were private, the advocate “noted that she is a mandatory reporter and was able to state that Angelica had not made any disclosures of sexual contact with Huizar or by any other adult.” (p.33)
June 6-7, 2019
With Vice-Principal Cordova present, Investigator Graham interviewed each student who had written a statement about the allegations. Investigator Graham informed each student they were not in trouble, did not have to talk to him, and asked each to be truthful. No parents were present.
The students’ written statements included various reports about what Angelica had said: that Angelica had lost her virginity to Huizar, that he sent her pictures of his penis, that they had sex at his house and at school, that Huizar was leaving his wife for her.
None reported having ever seen Angelica and Huizar together outside of school.
Source Document (p.29)
June 6, 2019
Investigator Graham interviewed Angelica’s grandmother privately while the advocate sat with Angelica. The grandmother stated that she does not believe the rumors are true and that Angelica denied making the posts. She stated that she always knows where Angelica is, she drives Angelica to and from school, that Angelica does not go to any activities on her own or have sleepovers with friends, and that Angelica has not had any unexplained absences from the family.
“She said Angelica is very upset about the other students spreading rumors about her at her school.”
Source Document (p.35)
June 7, 2019
Investigator Grahman conducted a child forensic interview Angelica with her advocate present, but not her grandmother. Angelica denied the rumors were true and said they had come from a group at girls at school. She said she didn’t know anything about Huizar’s house or car. She said she did not send the snapchat messages, that another friend had made her account under than username and she had forgotten the password.
When asked if she was still feeling suicidal, as mentioned in some of the texts, “she said that she had thought about what it would be like if she were dead and then this all would be over. She said those feelings started when this all started.” But that she was no longer feeling that way and resources were discussed.
Source Document (p.37-38)
June 7, 2019
Investigator Graham met with Sergeant Deccio, YPD School Resource Officer Program Supervisor, who stated he became of aware of this incident May 21 or 22, and he had responded to the student fight in January but that Huizar had not informed him of ongoing concerns.
Stacey Lock, Execute Director of Safety and Security for YSD. Lock stated that the YSK is conducting an internal investigation, focusing on “the school’s response to the student and the handling of the potential disclosure by school staff in relation to mandatory reporting procedures.” She stated the YSD office was not notified of the incident in January or of any on-going issues.
Investigator also interviewed Angelica’s mentor and youth group leader. Both said Angelica had not made any disclosures about a sexual relationship with anyone.
Source Document (p.39)
June 7, 2019
Investigator Graham investigated the place in the school where Huizar and Angelica alleged had sexual intercourse, the door of which is in full view of the common area and security cameras.
Investigator Graham also investigated the restaurant that Huizar allegedly took Angelica to, but they did not have security cameras.
Summer 2019
After the Attorney General’s investigation closed, a separate internal YPD investigation found that Huizar failed to report the allegations as part of his mandatory reporter obligations. Murray, YPD Police Chief at the time, wrote up a reprimand for that policy violation, but failed to complete it in the time frame required by the union contract and Huizar did not receive any discipline for that violation.
2020
Photo of Angelica and her brother.
October 31, 2021
November 19, 2021
According to the statement from the Richland School District, Huizar began his application process for a substitute position with the district on Nov. 19th.
RSD Hiring practices
January 31, 2022
The principal of Franklin Middle School in the Yakima School District-where Huizar worked as an SRO after the allegations of sexual misconduct with Angelica-rated Huizar a ‘very good’ candidate for the substitute position.
RSD hiring practices
February 2-10, 2022
Huizar completed the steps in the hiring process for working as a substitute teacher in the Richland School District. These steps included:
RSD Hiring practices
Question
Huizar was never charged for anything following the investigations into the allegations of sexual misconduct. In fact, both investigations closed with no findings of sexual misconduct. So those would not have shown up on a background check.
However, a separate background check of Huizar run by a different potential employer shows the charges for terrorizing and criminal trespassing, even though the charges were later dropped. So why did they not show up on the background check by RSD? Or if they did, why was Huizar’s background check considered clean?
Question
Why do all of the references and prior employment information seem to come only from Franklin Middle School and the Yakima School District? Did Huizar just not list Washington Middle School, where the alleged sexual misconduct with Angelica took place? Even if he didn’t have sexual misconduct in his record, did fail to follow mandatory reporting policy, why was that not in his record with YSD?
Though he worked in school his employer was the Yakima Police Department, were they not contacted?
Unfortunately we won’t know what was on Huizar’s application as those records are still exempt. ““…Those records are still exempt under RCW 42.56.250(1)(B) even though Mr. Elias Huizar has passed away.” -RSD Records Specialist Nayomi Mungia
February 2022-June 2023
Huizar worked as a substitute teacher for Richland School District, primary at Jefferson Elementary where he was a building substitute (he worked at one school covering for whoever is out that day). During this time he also volunteered as a wrestling coach at Richland High School.
Mid-July, 2022
An ultrasound photo recovered at Huizar’s house during his February 2024 arrest indicated that
Angelica conceived Baby Santos in mid-July, 2022, when she was only 15 years old.
October 26, 2022
Huizar contacted Paul Chartrand, principal at Wiley Elementary where Amber worked, and sent their court documents in violation of court orders that neither Amber nor Huizar contact each other’s employers.
June 14, 2023
According to the Richland School District, Huizar did not work or volunteer again after the end of the 2022-2023 school year. This does not mean he was let go, only that he did not take any more substitute teaching jobs from the list.
February 8, 2024
After the news broke of Huizar’s arrest for alleged rape, the RSD requested those records from the West Richland Police Department.
February 14, 2024
RSD removed Huizar from the substitute and volunteer portals and issued a No Trespass notice for all RSD properties.
Question
Did Angelica and her baby have any place to go after she left Huizar’s house?
April 21, 2024
Both Huizar and Angelica attended a gathering with Angelica’s family in Yakima Valley. Afterwards she went to West Richland, bringing their one year old son. Her phone’s location service placed her in the Tri-City area around 11:00 pm, then the signal was turned off.
Late April 21-early morning April 22, 2024
He stabbed her 9 times while she fought back, then cleaned up and laid her body on a plastic drop cloth in the living room.
April 22, 2024 at 8:00 pm
The WRPD found another homicide victim, later identified as Angelica, while serving a search warrant at Huizar’s house.
April 22, 2024 after 9:00 pm
Questions
This started with Amber being shot at 3:23 pm. But the search warrant isn’t served and Angelica found until 8 pm. And the Amber Alert for her baby didn’t go out until even later. Why did it take so long?
April 23, 2024 around 3:00 pm
Oregon State Police identified Huizar driving on Interstate 5 near Eugene, and pursued him for about 25 miles. Huizar fired on the police, who returned fire. Huizar called them during the chase and demanded the police stop shooting at and ramming his car since he the baby in the car with him. Huizar then into the rear of a semi truck and the car was stuck in the median. As the police approached heshot himself in the head and later died. The baby was found unharmed in the car and taken safely into custody.
A bullet proof tactical vest and two boxes of ammunition from the Yakima Police Department were found in the car. The YPD is looking into why Huizar still had those items three years after leaving the department.
Source Article 1 Source Article 2 herald article
May 17, 2024
Judge Sam Swanberg resigned his position as a judge with plans to return to private practice work. His press release stated his resignation had nothing to do with Huizar’s case, but was due to an investigation by the WA Commission of Judicial Conduct into his own allegations of domestic violence.