Man sentenced to 60 years in prison for killing girlfriend outside of Texas Roadhouse

AMARILLO, Texas (KFDA/Gray News) - An Oklahoma man will spend decades behind bars after pleading guilty to the shooting death of his 23-year-old girlfriend.

Mario Alberto Rodriquez, 33, appeared in the 320th District Court this week to submit his plea of guilty to Judge Steve Denny.

Rodriquez was charged with murder following an April 30, 2022, shooting.

Amarillo police said they were sent to a Texas Roadhouse on Interstate 40 that day for reports of shots fired.

Upon arrival, they found a woman with life-threatening gunshot wounds.

The woman was later identified as Rodriquez’s girlfriend, 23-year-old Marisela Mendoza. She was taken to an area hospital, but later died from her injuries.

Homicide investigators said the couple had travelled to Amarillo separately and chose to meet in the parking lot of Texas Roadhouse.

However, they began arguing in the parking lot, and Rodriquez pulled out a gun and shot Mendoza through a car window.

Rodriquez ended up leaving the scene in a Dodge Charger with Oklahoma license plates with two young girls in his car, which prompted an Amber Alert.

While the initial reports did not specify the relationship, court documents from Texas County, Oklahoma, established Rodriquez as the father.

Additionally, court records showed that Rodriquez was awarded primary custody of the children in a divorce finalized in 2018.

The Amber Alert was eventually cancelled hours later whenRodriquez and the two children were located near Hereford, Texas.

Rodriquez was arrested and taken to Deaf Smith County Jail, while the children were placed with relatives.

He was transferred to Potter County Detention Center, where he remained on a murder charge.

A Potter County grand jury indicted him in July 2022, and a trial date had been tentatively scheduled for February 2026.

On Monday, Rodriquez pleaded guilty to the murder of Mendoza while appearing in court in exchange for 60 years in prison.

Mendoza’s obituary describes her as a devoted mother and someone who “lived life to the fullest, wanting to experience and enjoy everything possible.”