In a tragic turn of events on a Saturday evening in September 2022, 34-year-old Jose Rolando Castaneda Varela of Texas was fatally shot in the parking lot of the White House Suites motel in Plainfield, Indiana. The incident, which also resulted in the death of 52-year-old Alfredo Garcia and left two other men wounded, shattered the evening's quiet.
Law enforcement identified Dalonny Dion Rodgers of Indianapolis as the man responsible for the violence.
An arrest warrant was issued, charging Rodgers with two counts of murder and three counts of attempted murder. This was not Rodgers' first encounter with the law; he had a prior criminal history that included a plea deal for reckless homicide in a 2014 case.
For over a year, Rodgers remained at large. The manhunt came to an end in December 2023 when police in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, arrested him during an investigation into a stolen vehicle. During the arrest, Rodgers faced additional charges, including assault and battery on a police officer and resisting arrest. Following his capture, the process to extradite him back to Indiana began, where he will face the charges related to the deaths of Varela and Garcia. Plainfield Police Chief Kyle Prewitt expressed relief at the apprehension, stating that they could now move to the next phase of the case to bring justice to the victims and their families.
