Cecelia Rodriguez

Cecelia Rodriguez was a 27-year-old Hispanic mother from Amarillo, Texas, who had a three-year-old son and a newborn daughter. Her brothers described her murder as a tragedy of domestic abuse and organized a fundraiser to help with funeral expenses and the care of her two young children.

In the early morning of February 3, 2024, after a night out with his friends, Cecelia’s boyfriend, 26-year-old Juan Antonio Salinas III, shot her in the home they shared. At approximately 2:25 a.m., after first attempting to call his mother, Salinas called 911 and told the dispatcher he had shot his girlfriend, then hung up. When the dispatcher called back, Salinas changed his story and claimed that Cecelia had shot herself.

When Amarillo police officers arrived at the residence in the 4000 block of South Ong Street, Salinas exited the house covered in Cecelia’s blood and carrying their one-month-old baby. Inside, police found Cecelia deceased in the bedroom from an apparent gunshot wound. The couple’s three-year-old son was discovered hiding under blankets in the same room.

Detectives from the Amarillo Police Department Homicide Unit took Salinas to be interviewed. Following the interview, he was arrested for murder and booked into the Randall County Detention Center. Authorities confirmed that the killing was related to domestic violence.

In April 2024, a Randall County Grand Jury indicted Juan Antonio Salinas III for the murder of Cecelia Rodriguez. During his trial, evidence was presented showing that Salinas had physically assaulted Cecelia on numerous occasions and had isolated her from her family and friends. A jury found Salinas guilty of murder, and he was sentenced to life in prison. As of the sentencing in August 2025, the case is closed.