Investigators used cellphone locations, surveillance video and vehicle data to find Arianna Jones in a remote desert grave.
GLENDALE, Ariz. — Cellphone records, surveillance footage and vehicle-tracking technology led detectives to a remote area near Lake Pleasant, where police found the body of a missing Glendale woman and arrested the man accused of killing her.
Glendale police said 21-year-old Arianna Jones was found July 11 in a shallow grave, four days after her family reported her missing. Domonic Rodolico, 24, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder. The charge is an allegation, and the case has not been resolved in court.
Jones had not been heard from since July 5. Her family became concerned after routine contact stopped and messages were no longer being marked as read. Relatives who checked her apartment found her dog inside a kennel without food or water, according to police records cited by local news organizations. A damaged cellphone was also found at the apartment, while Jones and her wallet were missing.
A friend told investigators that Jones planned to meet an acquaintance for a movie. Police said Jones and Rodolico had connected through social media and that the meeting was believed to be their first in person. Detectives determined that Rodolico picked her up from her apartment and that the two later went to a movie theater.
Investigators then began reconstructing their movements. Police said surveillance cameras captured the pair in several parts of Glendale, while cellphone-location information showed their phones traveling together. Vehicle-alert systems and other tracking data also placed Rodolico’s vehicle along the route investigators were examining.
The digital trail eventually led police toward an undeveloped area near Lake Pleasant Parkway and Old Carefree Highway. Jones’ cellphone last connected to a network in that area early July 6, police said. Investigators also determined that Rodolico had traveled to the remote location several times that day, including before he picked up Jones.
Search teams using cadaver dogs located human remains in a shallow grave July 11. Glendale police spokesperson Jose Santiago said clothing and other physical evidence found at the site matched Jones and allowed investigators to identify her.
Detectives also found two souvenir cups from Harkins Theatres near the burial site, according to court documents described by local news reports. Police said the cups, theater surveillance, cellphone records and footage from other cameras helped connect the events of the evening and establish a timeline.
Rodolico denied killing Jones, police said. He told investigators that two unidentified people appeared while he and Jones were in the desert and attacked them. Santiago said investigators believe physical and digital evidence conflicts with that account. Police have not announced evidence confirming that two other attackers were present.
Police said Rodolico was already serving felony probation in connection with a burglary case when he was arrested. Authorities have not released Jones’ cause or manner of death, and investigators are continuing to examine evidence and the nature of her contact with Rodolico before the meeting.
The investigation remains active. Police have not announced additional arrests or said when further findings, including details about how Jones died, may be released.
Author note: Last updated July 14, 2026.