Arizona Man Faces Murder Charge After Mother Disappears Following First-Time Social Media Meetup Near Lake Pleasant

GLENDALE, AZ — A 24-year-old Arizona man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after human remains were found in a remote desert area near Lake Pleasant. Police say the case centers on the disappearance of 21-year-old Arianna Bailey Jones, who vanished after meeting someone she knew from social media.

Jones, a mother of a 2-year-old boy, was reported missing earlier this month after her family lost contact with her. Investigators say the meeting happened on July 5 and that Rodolico was identified through cell phone data and surveillance video.

How the investigation unfolded

The search began July 7 when a relative contacted police after not hearing from Jones for two days. Officers checking her apartment found her dog locked in a kennel without food or water, suggesting she had been gone for several days.

A friend told investigators Jones had planned to meet an acquaintance for a movie. Police later said the pair had met on social media and were seeing each other in person for the first time.

Remains found in desert

On Saturday, cadaver dogs led investigators to human remains buried in a shallow grave in the desert. Police believe the remains are Jones’, but formal identification has not yet been completed.

The cause of death is still unknown, and authorities have not released additional details about how the remains were discovered beyond the search effort near Lake Pleasant.

Suspect taken into custody

Dominic Scot-Glen Rodolico was arrested Saturday and is being held on $2 million bond. Court documents say he was taken into custody while cleaning the back of his car and had a hand injury at the time.

During questioning, Rodolico allegedly claimed that Jones was attacked by two unknown men who stabbed her, allowing him to get away. Detectives say they believe he planned to kill her.

Family continues to grieve

After Jones disappeared, her mother, Sophia Sardinas, spent a week handing out flyers and searching for her daughter. Sardinas said she wants people to remember Jones for who she was, not only for the circumstances surrounding her disappearance.

A GoFundMe has been created by the family as they continue to seek answers in the case.

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