Woman found dead in trunk of car leads to arrest in Huntington Beach

An Arizona man was arrested on suspicion of murder in the death of a woman whose body was found in the trunk of a car outside a residence in Huntington Beach, police said Tuesday.

An Arizona man was arrested after the body of a woman was discovered in the trunk of a car in Huntington Beach on Monday night, investigators said.

Around 5:15 p.m., officers with the Huntington Beach Police Department responded to reports of a family disturbance at a residence on the 17000 block of Friml Lane.

When the officers arrived at the scene, they were met with a chilling sight – the lifeless body of a woman had been found in the trunk of a car, prompting investigators to deem that she died "under suspicious circumstances."

Detectives from the HBPD Crimes Against Persons (CAP) Unit arrived promptly to take control of the situation. They were joined by officials from the Orange County District Attorney's Office and the Orange County Sheriff’s Department - Coroner Division and Crime Lab. 

As a result of their investigations and interviews, 34-year-old Richard Paul Rodriguez, from Holbrook, Arizona, was arrested and charged with one count of murder.

Richard Paul Rodriguez

The victim was identified by police in Arizona as Christi Lynn Romero, 54.

The investigation into the incident remains active, and further details are yet to be released.

Anyone with information connected to this case was asked to contact Detective S. McCollom at 714-960-8848. Alternatively, you can choose to remain anonymous by reaching out to OC Crime Stoppers at 1(855) TIP-OCCS (1-855-847-6227).