Home invader suspects shot, killed; getaway driver arrested
Homeowner's son in Oklahoma claims self-defense against three would-be robbers armed with brass knuckles and knife, suspected getaway driver turns herself into police
The woman who acted as the getaway driver for three intruders shot and killed after they broke into an Oklahoma home knew about the house and planned the burglary herself, prosecutors said Tuesday, as the identities of the shooter and the would-be burglars emerged.
Elizabeth Marie Rodriguez, 21, of Oologah was arrested on three first-degree murder and three first-degree burglary warrants and was jailed without bond, Wagoner County Deputy Nick Mahoney said.
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The homeowner's son who fired the shots, identified as 23-year-old Zach Peters, has not been arrested; police said they were working to confirm he acted in self-defense under the state's "Stand Your Ground" law. They said the masked intruders wore black and carried two weapons between them: a knife and brass knuckles.
The would-be burglars were identified as 19-year-old Maxwell Cook, 17-year-old Jacob Redfern and 16-year-old Jaykob Woodriff, Fox 25 reported.
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Rodriguez had called the homeowner by his first name and even took the intruders to the home twice before the break-in Monday, a witness said in a probable-cause affidavit. Peters shot them with an AR-15, according to Mahoney.
"It was determined [Rodriguez] had driven these individuals to the house and dropped them off with the intent to burglarize the residence," Mahoney said. He added that he did not know whether Rodriguez had an attorney.
Oklahoma law allows a person to be charged with murder for playing some role in a crime in which people are killed, even if the person does not take part in the actual killing. Oklahoma also is one of 24 states which have laws allowing citizens to shoot someone if they believe the person threatens their safety, according to the National Council of State Legislatures.
"It looks like self-defense from the preliminary investigation, but that's all speculative," Mahoney said. "There's some speculation as to whether or not that (Stand Your Ground) law applies in this case, the simple answer is I don't know."
Mahoney said the homeowner was not around at the time of the shooting and that the son called law enforcement shortly after the shooting.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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