Arizona Man Arrested on Murder Charge After Remains Found Near Lake Pleasant in Case of Mom Missing After Social Media Meetup

GLENDALE, AZ — A 24-year-old Arizona man is facing a murder charge after investigators found human remains in a remote desert area near Lake Pleasant in the search for a missing 21-year-old mother. Police say Dominic Scot-Glen Rodolico was arrested Saturday in the disappearance of Arianna Bailey Jones, who was last seen after a first-time meeting with someone she met online.

Jones was reported missing by her family earlier this month, and the investigation started after a relative said no one had heard from her since July 5. Officers who checked her apartment found her dog locked in a kennel without food or water, suggesting it had been left alone for several days.

How the investigation developed

Detectives said a friend told them Jones had planned to meet an acquaintance for a movie on July 5. By reviewing cell phone data and surveillance video, investigators identified Rodolico as the person with her that day.

Glendale police said the pair met on social media and were seeing each other in person for the first time when Jones disappeared. Investigators have not said whether the movie plan actually happened.

Remains found in desert grave

Cadaver dogs located human remains Saturday in a shallow grave in the desert. Police believe the remains are Jones’, but official identification has not yet been completed.

The cause of death is also still unknown as the investigation continues.

Arrest and court claims

According to court documents, Rodolico was taken into custody while cleaning the back of his car and had a hand injury at the time. He is being held on a $2 million bond.

During questioning, he allegedly told detectives that he and Jones were attacked by two unknown men who stabbed her, allowing him to get away. Detectives said they believe Rodolico planned to kill Jones instead.

Family continues to search

Jones’s mother, Sophia Sardinas, spent a week handing out flyers and looking for her daughter after she disappeared. She said she wants people to remember Jones for who she was, not only for the circumstances surrounding her death.

The family has also set up a GoFundMe as the case moves forward.

TNSO covers California, Nevada, and Arizona as the story unfolds.