In a chilling case that shocked the Wisconsin community, J. Dominguez-Garcia, 27, has been sentenced to 40 years in prison for the brutal killing of his pregnant girlfriend, R. Chavarria Rodriguez. The young woman’s remains were discovered stuffed inside a suitcase in an abandoned farmhouse, leaving her family devastated and seeking justice.
The Crime and Investigation
The tragic sequence of events began in July 2020, when Chavarria Rodriguez was last seen alive while working at a restaurant.
On July 23, 2020, Dominguez-Garcia picked up her final paycheck, telling authorities that the couple had broken up after a heated argument about infidelity. He claimed that he suspected another man had fathered the child Chavarria Rodriguez was carrying.
Authorities became suspicious when they found Chavarria Rodriguez’s vehicle in August 2020, with fluids in the trunk suggesting that a body had been stored there. Despite this clue, it wasn’t until October 2020 that police made a crucial discovery.
An informant, involved in a separate drug investigation, tipped police off about a possible location. When they searched a vacant farmhouse, they found Chavarria Rodriguez’s remains stuffed into a purple suitcase. It took nearly a year to positively identify her due to the condition of the remains.
The Loss of Two Lives
Chavarria Rodriguez had been approximately seven weeks pregnant at the time of her death, based on her last doctor’s appointment in June 2020. The loss of her unborn child, along with her tragic death, left her family shattered.
At the time of her death, Chavarria Rodriguez was only 24 years old and had a young daughter, now 9 years old, who currently lives with her grandmother in Peru.
Dominguez-Garcia initially evaded arrest, but in November 2023, he was found in Missouri after police spotted a car with stolen license plates. He was arrested and later extradited to Wisconsin to face charges related to his girlfriend’s death.
The Legal Outcome
At his sentencing, Judge J. Isaacson sentenced Dominguez-Garcia to 40 years in prison, including 25 years of initial confinement, followed by 15 years of extended supervision. Although the sentence brought some closure to the case, it fell short of what Chavarria Rodriguez’s family had hoped for.
Her grieving father, J. Chavarria, expressed his frustration, saying, “It was two lives that he took away, one was my daughter and the other was the baby my daughter had.” He added, “I would like to see the authorities give him the maximum penalty.”
As part of the plea deal, Dominguez-Garcia pleaded no contest to first-degree reckless homicide, and charges of homicide of an unborn child and hiding a corpse were dismissed. Chavarria Rodriguez’s remains were finally released to her family, allowing them to lay her to rest after a long wait for justice.
Remembering Chavarria Rodriguez
Chavarria Rodriguez’s family and friends remember her as a “family girl”, always responsible and full of love for her family. Her father described her as “the heart and soul of our family,” a woman full of joy, curiosity, and creativity.
Her laughter and energy were infectious, and her kindness was felt by everyone around her. She leaves behind a daughter who will grow up without her mother but will carry her memory and love.
The Continuing Pain of Loss
While the legal proceedings have come to an end, for Chavarria Rodriguez’s family, the emotional toll of losing a beloved daughter, sister, and mother continues.
The 40-year sentence for Dominguez-Garcia brings a sense of justice, but the family’s pain and grief will last much longer. They continue to mourn the loss of a young woman whose life was senselessly taken far too soon.