A man who shot his girlfriend to death outside an Amarillo, Texas Roadhouse restaurant in 2022 before fleeing with their two young children has been sentenced to 60 years in prison.
Mario Alberto Rodriquez, 33, of Oklahoma, pleaded guilty to murder on Monday, avoiding a trial for the killing of Marisela Mendoza, 23. The sentencing brings a close to a tragic case that spanned two states and involved a brief, but tense, Amber Alert for the couple’s daughters.
A Heated Argument Turns Deadly
The incident occurred on April 30, 2022. Rodriquez and Mendoza, both residents of Oklahoma, had traveled separately to the Texas Roadhouse in Amarillo, Texas, and met in the parking lot. An argument between the couple quickly escalated, with Rodriquez pulling out a gun and firing several shots at Mendoza.
First responders found Mendoza with life-threatening gunshot wounds and rushed her to the hospital, where she later succumbed to her injuries…