Watch CBS News

Ex-Airport Worker Pleads Guilty To Murdering Supervisor

Follow CBSMIAMI.COM: Facebook | Twitter

MIAMI (CBSMiami) -- A former American Airlines employee was given a 25-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to the 2011 murder of his ex-girlfriend.

Dozens gathered in a Miami-Dade court room Thursday morning to watch Joel Rodriguez, 54, plead guilty, according to CBS4 news partner The Miami Herald.

Police said Ruth Fuentes, a 49-year-old supervisor for American Airlines, was shot and killed in her Coral Gables home, near the 1500 block of Certosa Avenue.

Investigators said Rodriguez, her ex-boyfriend, became an immediate suspect after records showed he used Fuentes' ATM card while driving up to New Jersey.

Police in New Jersey arrested him on a separate incident for threatening his ex-wife. Rodriguez later confessed that he "blacked out" during an argument with Fuentes and couldn't remember if he killed her.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.