Man Who Shot Girlfriend and Dumped Her Body Sentenced to 50 Years to Life

HACIENDA HEIGHTS – After six years of waiting, a family has some closure for the death of 41-year-old Claudia Tecuautzin. On Monday, February 27, 2017, Francisco Nila Rojas, after being found guilty of first-degree murder on February 24th, was sentenced to 50 years to life in prison.

On February 18, 2011, prosecutors said that 40-year-old Rojas shot Tecuautzin, who was his girlfriend at the time in the head. After shooting her, he dumped her body in Hacienda Heights, where her body was discovered less than a month later near Turnbull Canyon Road and Skyline Drive.

Five days following the murder, Rojas left the United States and went to Mexico District Attorney’s officials said. In October 2015, Rojas was located and extradited to Los Angeles County to face murder charges. According to court testimony, Rojas stole money from Tecuautzin’s bank accounts before and after the murder.

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Blood evidence from the victim was located in a Ford Explorer that was jointly owned by Rojas and Tecuautzin. The passenger side floor was cleaned with bleach officials said. Investigators also learned that Rojas purchased a gun less than a week before the shooting and the gun was consistent with bullet fragments found in Tecuautzin’s head.

Deputy District Attorney Babette Huley of the Victim Impact Program prosecuted the case that was investigated by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.