Michael Rodriguez, 48, has been arrested and charged with second-degree murder after authorities found his father’s body hidden in a carport in El Mirage, Arizona. Police say Rodriguez admitted to the killing during questioning.
The incident occurred earlier this week at a home on North Luna Street. Officers discovered the decomposing body of Salvador Ortiz Rivera Jr. under a plywood cover in a vehicle repair pit. The victim had a plastic bag over his head and showed signs of strangulation.
A tipster contacted police after Rodriguez allegedly asked him to retrieve a wallet containing bank details from the body. The man instead alerted authorities, leading officers to the scene. Rodriguez, who lives nearby, told investigators he had ongoing issues with his father and blacked out during their confrontation.
Rodriguez is being held in Maricopa County Jail on a $2 million bond. At his arraignment he told the court he had no regrets, claiming his father was affiliated with a gang and needed to be stopped.