AVONDALE, Ariz. — Charges against the boyfriend of a missing Avondale woman have been dismissed without prejudice.
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Charges against 39-year-old Tommy Rodriguez from Phoenix for allegedly stealing and damaging Isabella Comas’s car were dismissed Wednesday, according to court documents.
Comas’s car was found near 67th Avenue and Indian School Road.
Police had also identified Rodriguez as a “person of interest” in Comas’s disappearance.
Comas, 21, was last seen leaving a friend’s house in a red Hyundai Sonata near Van Buren Street and Avondale Boulevard on Jan. 11 around 3 p.m.
That same day, she was seen on surveillance video at a QuikTrip gas station down the road wearing a white t-shirt with a black logo on the front.
She was reported missing to Avondale Police after she did not pick up her friend for work the next day. Comas also did not show up for work, and she was unable to be contacted by phone.
Authorities announced that Comas’ phone was found at a recycling center in Phoenix on Jan. 12.
In a statement about the dismissal of charges, Avondale police said, “We are aware that the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office has dismissed the theft of vehicle charge against Mr. Rodriguez. We have advised the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office that this remains an active investigation for us and Mr. Rodriguez remains the sole person of interest in the disappearance of Isabella Comas. To preserve the integrity of the investigation, no additional information or updates regarding the case will be released until all investigative efforts are completed. Ms. Comas is still missing, and her Turquoise Alert is still active. Anyone with information about Ms. Comas’ Turquoise Alert is asked to contact Avondale Police at 623-333-7000 or 480-WITNESS.”
Comas’ mother told 12News in a statement said the family is concerned for the community’s safety after learning of the dismissal and expressed heartache for Isabella’s ongoing absence.
“Family misses her terribly. Not having any clues to her whereabouts has been life depleting,” the mother wrote in a statement this week.
Legal experts say the dismissal does not mean investigators are closing the case or clearing anyone involved. Criminal defense attorney Josh Kolsrud, who reviewed the case for 12News, said prosecutors are often limited in what they can do when a person is still missing and there is no definitive proof a crime occurred.
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“Frankly, I’m not surprised, because number one, we don’t know where the victim is in this case,” Kolsrud said.
Kolsrud explained that even charges unrelated to a disappearance — like auto theft — can be difficult to prove when the alleged victim cannot confirm whether permission was given.
“Right now, Maricopa County is asking, ‘How do we prove that he didn’t have permission to drive the vehicle?’” he said.
Kolsrud said investigators appear to be dealing with a possible “no‑body homicide”, one of the most challenging types of cases to prosecute.
“The most important thing in a no‑body homicide case is developing a very detailed and meticulous timeline,” he said.
That includes reviewing digital evidence — particularly cell phone data — from both Comas and Rodriguez.
“If his phone is pinging off the same towers at the same time as the victim’s, he’s going to have a lot of explaining to do,” Kolsrud said.
Court documents show the dismissed charges were dropped without prejudice, meaning they could be refiled if new evidence emerges.
Comas is a Hispanic woman who is 5 feet 3 inches tall and weighs 110 pounds. She has brown eyes and pink hair, and was last seen wearing a white shirt with a black logo on the front, blue pants with a white line going down the side, and possibly wearing sandals.
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