Man Who Gunned Down Girlfriend at Texas Roadhouse Sentenced to 60 Years
An Oklahoma man who shot and killed his girlfriend outside a Texas Roadhouse restaurant before fleeing with his two children has been sentenced to decades behind bars. Mario Alberto Rodriquez, 33, pleaded guilty to murder in the 2022 killing of 23-year-old Marisela Mendoza, avoiding a lengthy trial.
The incident took place on April 30, 2022, in the parking lot of a Texas Roadhouse in Amarillo, Texas. Both Rodriquez and Mendoza, who lived in Oklahoma, drove separately to the restaurant. Witnesses said the couple got into a heated argument in the parking lot, which quickly turned deadly. Rodriquez pulled out a firearm and shot Mendoza multiple times before fleeing the scene with his two daughters, ages five and eight.
Emergency responders arrived to find Mendoza suffering from life-threatening gunshot wounds. She was rushed to the hospital but succumbed to her injuries. Meanwhile, law enforcement identified Rodriquez as the suspect and issued an Amber Alert due to the presence of his children in the vehicle. The alert was later canceled when authorities arrested him in Hereford, Texas. Police confirmed that both children were found safe and placed into the care of family members.
Following his arrest, Rodriquez was held in Texas but was briefly transferred to Texas County, Oklahoma, in February 2023 on warrants related to child neglect and domestic abuse. Those charges were later dismissed, and he was returned to Texas to face the murder charge. In July 2022, a Potter County grand jury indicted Rodriquez for murder, setting the stage for a trial that was expected to begin in 2026.
However, Rodriquez entered a guilty plea in October 2025, accepting responsibility for Mendoza’s death. In exchange, prosecutors agreed to a sentence of 60 years in prison. The plea deal spared Mendoza’s family the ordeal of a trial while ensuring Rodriquez faces a lengthy incarceration.
The case underscores the tragic consequences of domestic violence and how quickly volatile situations can escalate into fatal encounters. With his guilty plea, Rodriquez will spend the majority of his life behind bars, while Mendoza’s loved ones continue to mourn her loss.
