Missing Glendale woman found dead, buried after alleged date, police say
Missing woman found dead, buried in shallow grave near Lake Pleasant
A search for missing 21-year-old Arianna Jones ended when her body was found near Lake Pleasant, leading to first-degree murder charges against Domonic Rodolico. FOX 10's Megan Spector learns more about the new details in the murder investigation.
GLENDALE, Ariz. - A desperate search for a missing Glendale woman has turned into a murder investigation. Police arrested a man who detectives say met a woman on social media and was believed to be on a date the night she was killed.
Detectives used everything from cell phone data to surveillance video to track the suspect, 24-year-old Domonic Rodolico.
What we know:
Police said 21-year-old Arianna Jones was found dead in a remote area near Lake Pleasant on July 11, four days after her family reported her missing.
"Our detectives did find a shallow grave in that area, and they found a body in that grave," Jose Santiago of the Glendale Police Department said. "There was enough evidence, physical evidence of not only clothing but other things matching Ms. Jones to be able to identify her."
Digital evidence, vehicle tracking, and surveillance footage quickly led detectives to Rodolico, who was already on felony probation in connection to a burglary. Rodolico is now charged with first-degree murder.
The backstory:
Police say they met after connecting online. Rodolico denies being involved in her death.
"Instead he is saying that the two of them were in this remote area and that two individuals showed up and attacked them," Santiago said.
The other side:
However, police say the physical evidence contradicts his story.
"There was sufficient enough evidence to link them together," Santiago said. "There was sufficient enough evidence to show Mr. Rodolico was in that area several times before they actually were in that area."
Dig deeper:
Investigators tracked the pair to a movie theater before they drove to Lake Pleasant. According to court documents, detectives found two Harkins souvenir cups where she was buried.
"Having this surveillance video show where they were as far as the movies were concerned, and they were able to find them in different areas of Glendale using other cameras, their cell phone usage in different areas, all that combined really helped us solve the case," Santiago said.
What they're saying:
However, as the investigation continues, those close to Jones are remembering the friend they lost.
"Anytime you saw me, you saw Ari. Anytime you saw Ari, you asked about where I was at. We were inseparable I would say," a close friend of Arianna Jones said.
The close friend spoke to her memory.
"She made everybody smile. She was very kindhearted. She did her best to be around everyone she loved. She was going through a hard time herself, and yet she never put anybody behind her, never failed to check in or let people know she was there," the friend said.
What we don't know:
Police did not share how the victim died.
What's next:
Detectives are still going through evidence to determine the extent of their relationship, but police believe this was the first time they had met in person.
A motive is still under investigation.
The Source: Information in this report was gathered from a close friend of Arianna Jones, Jose Santiago of the Glendale Police Department, court documents, and an initial appearance video.