Man Charged with Murder After Allegedly Beating Restaurant Employee to Death with Fire Extinguisher
Dino Rojas-Moreno, 26, was previously arrested on Wednesday in relation to the death of Tatum Goodwin
Tatum Goodwin / Instagram
A California man has been charged with the murder of a 27-year-old woman who was allegedly beaten with a fire extinguisher before she was found dead, according to authorities.
Following his arrest on Wednesday in relation to the death of Tatum Goodwin, Dino Rojas-Moreno, 26, was "charged with special circumstances murder for beating a 27-year-old woman to death with a fire extinguisher and leaving her body with a sandbag covering her head in a nearby construction site," according to a Friday news release from the Orange County District Attorney's Office.
Per the Orange County DA, Rojas-Moreno's charges include, "one felony count of murder, one felony enhancement of special circumstances of committing the murder in the commission of a kidnapping, and one felony enhancement for the personal use of a weapon, a fire extinguisher."
Goodwin’s body was found in a secluded location near the 200 block of Ocean Avenue in Laguna Beach, Calif. at approximately 8:20 a.m. on Nov. 12 under a chain link fence by a construction worker, authorities said.
The area was behind the restaurant where she worked, per local news outlet KABC.
Laguna Beach Police Department
Dino Rojas-Moreno, 26, of Laguna Hills was arrested in connection with the homicide of 27-year-old Tatum Goodwin on Nov. 15, 2023.Rojas-Moreno had allegedly approached Goodwin at about 1 a.m on Nov. 11, while she was close to her car in a parking lot near to where her body was later found, per Orange County DA.
Authorities further alleged that he then assaulted her and dragged her away from the parking lot to a "secluded area" behind a movie theater that was under construction.
"Rojas-Moreno is then accused of beating Goodwin to death with a fire extinguisher," the release stated.
Related: 'Hard Working' Restaurant Employee Is Found Slain in Alley After Night Out, Man Arrested
"It is unclear whether Goodwin had any prior relationship with Rojas-Moreno. Rojas-Moreno failed to show up to work the day of the murder after claiming he had been jumped by several men in Santa Ana," the news release continued.
Goodwin’s family told NBC Los Angeles that they were not familiar with Rojas-Moreno.
Laguna Police did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment on Sunday.
As previously reported by PEOPLE, Rojas-Moreno was arrested on Wednesday by Laguna Beach Detectives, with assistance from the Newport Beach and Anaheim Police Departments, according to a Laguna Beach Police Department news release. Rojas-Moreno’s bail is set at $1,000,000, per the statement.
“Detectives determined this was an isolated incident and there is no further threat to the community,” Laguna Police added in the statement.
At the time, authorities stated that the woman's identity had been confirm by the Orange County Sheriff Coroner’s Division to be Tatum Goodwin of San Clemente.
A spokesperson for the district attorney’s office told NBC News that their office could not comment on a possible motive for the incident and that the case is still under investigation.
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“The loss of an innocent life is a travesty for the entire community,” D.A. Todd Spitzer said in a statement. “It is heartbreaking that a young woman with her entire future ahead of her had her life ended in such a brutal way and then discarded like her life never matter. She mattered, and the Orange County District Attorney’s Office is committed to ensuring justice is served.”
Friends and family remembered Goodwin as a kind and loving person. Her mother Stacy Goodwin-Pitino told KTLA that she “was just a happy-go-lucky person that would give you the shirt off her back. That’s who Tatum was.”
Meanwhile, a GoFundMe was set up by Marcos Salim Heredi, who owns Carmelita's Restaurants, where Goodwin worked, to raise money for her memorial services. On the page, Heredi said Goodwin “was a very hard working young lady and always kept a smile on her face.”
“We are still in disbelief and we don't want her to go unforgotten,” he wrote. “We are attempting to raise capital for her memorial services and also help with creating a memorial in the city, so everyone in town never forgets about our sweet friend Tatum.”
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