Arizona Man Arrested in Connection With Woman Whose Body Was Found in California in Her Car’s Trunk
![Missing Arizona Woman's Body Found in Car Trunk, Suspect Arrested: Cops](https://media.frontpagedetectives.com/brand-img/GW6DJw06k/480x251/arizona-man-arrested-woman-found-car-trunk-1699479049871.jpg 480w, https://media.frontpagedetectives.com/brand-img/GW6DJw06k/640x335/arizona-man-arrested-woman-found-car-trunk-1699479049871.jpg 640w, https://media.frontpagedetectives.com/brand-img/GW6DJw06k/768x402/arizona-man-arrested-woman-found-car-trunk-1699479049871.jpg 768w, https://media.frontpagedetectives.com/brand-img/GW6DJw06k/1024x536/arizona-man-arrested-woman-found-car-trunk-1699479049871.jpg 1024w, https://media.frontpagedetectives.com/brand-img/GW6DJw06k/1280x670/arizona-man-arrested-woman-found-car-trunk-1699479049871.jpg 1280w, https://media.frontpagedetectives.com/brand-img/GW6DJw06k/1440x753/arizona-man-arrested-woman-found-car-trunk-1699479049871.jpg 1440w, https://media.frontpagedetectives.com/brand-img/GW6DJw06k/1600x837/arizona-man-arrested-woman-found-car-trunk-1699479049871.jpg 1600w, https://media.frontpagedetectives.com/brand-img/GW6DJw06k/2160x1130/arizona-man-arrested-woman-found-car-trunk-1699479049871.jpg 2160w)
Christi Romero's reported her missing. Hours later, her body was found in California in the trunk of a car, police said.
Nov. 13 2023, Published 3:01 p.m. ET
An Arizona man has been arrested after police say they found a missing woman’s body in the trunk of a car in California.
On the morning of Nov. 6, officials from the Holbrook Police Department said the family of 54-year-old Christi Romero reported her missing from Arizona.
According to police, her vehicle, a 1995 Plymouth Neon, was also nowhere to be found. They also said the “circumstances surrounding Christi’s disappearance are suspicious in nature.”
Investigators determined that 34-year-old Richard Rodriguez allegedly “forced his way into Christi’s residence and forced her to leave,” officials said. They also believed Rodriguez had Romero’s 9 mm pistol in his possession.
In an effort to try and find Romero, police posted photos of her, Rodriguez and the stolen vehicle online.
Around 5:15 p.m. on Nov. 6, officers from the Huntington Beach Police Department responded to a call regarding a “family disturbance.”
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Once at the scene, police discovered a dead adult female at the scene, authorities said.
Romero’s body was found in the trunk of a parked sedan near the home, KTLA-TV reported.
Her cause of death is unknown, but police arrested Rodriguez on suspicion of Romero’s murder.
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Huntington Beach police said the couple may have been dating. Romero reportedly filed a protective order against Rodriguez several days before her body was found, KABC-TV reported.
While authorities would not confirm what Rodriguez was doing in Huntington Beach, they did say he may have family or friends in the area.
The investigation is ongoing.
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