An arrest warrant was released Monday morning at the Lubbock County Courthouse with new details in the murder case against Carlos Andrew Rodriquez, 25, who is accused of killing Zoe Campos.
Campos was 18 years old when she disappeared on November 17, 2013. For five years, Campos was a missing person. On Friday night, police found a body in the backyard of a home in the 1900 block of 70th Street.
Although, the body has not been confirmed as Campos, police were led to that location specifically in reference to the search for Campos.
A few days after Campos disappeared, her car was spotted with someone other than Campos driving it. Police recovered the car at a Central Lubbock apartment complex. Campos’ black jacket was found in the car and sent off for testing.
“The Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) assisted with the case and conducted forensic testing of Zoe’s clothing,” the warrant said.
Rodriquez’ DNA was later found on the jacket.
The warrant said: “On November 25, 2013, Carlos [Rodriquez] provided a sworn statement to [a detective]. In that statement, he mentioned how he met Zoe through a mutual friend. He provided some other extraneous details about conversations he had with Zoe and then concluded by saying that he had nothing to do with her disappearance. His statement changed several times during the course of the investigation.”
The warrant said the house where Rodriquez lived (the house on 70th Street) was searched but “no grave site was located.”
Meanwhile, Rodriquez has been in and out of jail for the last five years on various charges.
In March of 2018, an inmate at the Lubbock County Detention Center came forward with information, saying in part, “They’ve searched the land already, they’re not gonna find the body until they move the concrete.”
In November, the inmate was interviewed again, and police used cadaver dogs on the home in the 1900 block of 70th Street. The dogs indicated the presence of a body.
Bones were located in the area, the warrant said, but those turned out to not be human. Police kept searching.
On Wednesday, ground penetrating radar gave police an indication of more specifically where to look. And on Friday, Rodriquez, who was in jail for an unrelated case, initiated a conversation with investigators.
An investigator wrote in the arrest warrant, “I then drove Carlos [Rodriquez] to 19xx 70th Street and escorted him into the backyard where he showed me the exact location of her final burial to me and other investigators.”
Rodriquez admitted he met her though a mutual friend on November 18, 2013. She drove him home and then, according to the warrant, “Rodriquez then placed Zoe Campos in a ‘rear naked choke’ and strangled her until she was dead.”
“[Rodriquez] then proceeded to the back yard where retrieved a shovel and dug a shallow grave next to his porch. Carlos [Rodriquez] then drove Zoe’s car to the Driftwood Apartments and abandoned the vehicle.”
The warrant does not say what motivated him to choke her, except to say, “Zoe [Campos] and Carlos [Rodriquez] were smoking synthetic marijuana. While they smoked it, Carlos [Rodriquez] lost control and struck Zoe Campos in the face.”
Rodriquez was charged with murder five years, nearly to the day, that Campos disappeared.
He was held Monday on a $500,000 bond, but even if he could post bond, he still would not be released, because he must serve a 4-year sentence for stalking.
A Facebook message from Missing Zoe Campos said:
A family is left broken and shattered after holding out hope that one day they would be able to hug their daughter. For Five years we have been waiting for answers, through pleas, anger, tears, and hope and through those five years you have loved us, supported us, shared Zoe, and had every emotion we have had.
CLICK HERE to read the entire Facebook message.
Related Story: Man charged for murder in Zoe Campos case
Related Story: Human remains found in search related to Zoe Campos investigation
Related Story: Inmate taken from jail to Zoe Campos search scene, police confirm
CLICK HERE for explanation of a rear naked choke
UPDATED: Here is a LINK TO VIEW the arrest warrant
Correction: Rodriquez’ middle name was corrected.
NOTE: The original version of the warrant was edited to not include information about synthetic marijuana. EverythingLubbock.com was later able to obtain additional information after this story was published.
