Oklahoma Man Gets 60 Years After Shooting Girlfriend Outside Amarillo Texas Roadhouse
AMARILLO, Texas — A 33-year-old Oklahoma man has been sentenced to 60 years in prison after pleading guilty to shooting and killing his girlfriend during a heated argument in the parking lot of a Texas Roadhouse restaurant in Amarillo.
Deadly Argument Turned Tragic
Police said Mario Alberto Rodriquez shot his 23-year-old girlfriend, Marisela Mendoza, multiple times after a confrontation outside the restaurant on April 30, 2022.
Officers arrived to find Mendoza critically injured inside a car parked near Interstate 40. She was rushed to a local hospital but later died from her injuries. Witnesses told investigators that Rodriquez pulled a gun and fired through the car window before fleeing the scene in a Dodge Charger with Oklahoma plates.
Amber Alert Issued After Shooting
Authorities issued an Amber Alert when they learned Rodriquez had fled with his two young daughters, prompting fears that he had kidnapped them. The alert was later cancelled after police located Rodriquez and the children near Hereford, Texas. Both children were unharmed.
Rodriquez was taken into custody and booked into Deaf Smith County Jail, later transferred to Potter County, where he was charged with murder.
Courtroom Plea and Sentence
Rodriquez pleaded guilty in 320th District Court before Judge Steve Denny, accepting a 60-year sentence as part of a plea deal. Prosecutors said the agreement avoided a lengthy trial while ensuring a punishment “proportionate to the violent and senseless nature of the crime.”
Court records also revealed that Rodriquez had primary custody of his daughters after a 2018 divorce, complicating the initial Amber Alert when authorities believed the children were in danger.
Victim Remembered
Family and friends described Marisela Mendoza as a caring young woman who “wanted to experience life to its fullest.” Her loved ones have shared tributes online calling for justice and greater awareness of domestic violence.
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