Investigators found human remains in a remote desert area near Lake Pleasant after tracking the missing woman’s phone and reviewing surveillance video.
GLENDALE, AZ — A Peoria man faces a first-degree murder charge after investigators found remains believed to be those of 21-year-old Arianna Bailey Jones in a shallow grave near Lake Pleasant, Glendale police said.
Dominic Scot-Glen Rodolico, 24, was arrested July 11 as detectives investigated Jones’ disappearance. Police allege Rodolico picked her up from her Glendale apartment on July 5 after the two met through social media. Authorities said the possible motive and Jones’ cause of death remain under investigation.
A relative reported Jones missing July 7 after her family had been unable to reach her for two days. Jones was last known to have been at her apartment near 59th and Northern avenues. Family members who checked the apartment found damage to the front door, a broken cellphone and her dog inside a kennel without food or water, according to police records.
Jones’ wallet was missing, and regular video calls with her 2-year-old son had stopped, relatives told investigators. The child was staying with family when Jones disappeared. A friend told police that Jones planned to meet an acquaintance for a movie on the evening of July 5.
Detectives reviewed surveillance recordings, cellphone information and vehicle-location alerts as they reconstructed Jones’ movements. Police identified Rodolico as the person who picked her up and said location data showed his phone traveling alongside hers. Jones’ phone last registered near Lake Pleasant early July 6.
Investigators said the data led them to an isolated desert area near Lake Pleasant Parkway and Old Carefree Highway. Police allege Rodolico traveled to that location three times on the day Jones disappeared, including a visit before he picked her up. Detectives believe those movements and the purchase of supplies later associated with the burial site indicate the killing was planned.
Search teams using cadaver dogs located decomposing human remains in a shallow grave July 11, authorities said. Clothing, movie theater cups and other evidence were also found in the area. Police said the remains are believed to be Jones’, although formal identification had not been completed when officials announced the arrest.
Rodolico was arrested the same day, reportedly while cleaning the rear area of his vehicle. Court records cited by local news organizations said he had an injury to his hand or arm. Investigators also said surveillance showed him cleaning the vehicle after Jones disappeared.
Police said Rodolico acknowledged being with Jones but gave an account that changed during questioning. He reportedly claimed that two unidentified men attacked them and that Jones was stabbed while he escaped. Detectives said he could not provide details that allowed them to verify his account, and investigators allege the available physical and digital evidence instead linked him to Jones’ death.
Glendale police said Jones and Rodolico had exchanged several brief calls over a few weeks after meeting online. Investigators believe July 5 was the first time they met in person. Authorities have not announced evidence of a longer relationship between them.
Jones’ mother, Sophia Sardinas, told Arizona’s Family that her daughter was devoted to her young son and had hoped to build a family. Sardinas spent the days after the missing-person report distributing flyers and searching for information about her daughter.
Rodolico was booked on suspicion of first-degree murder and was being held on a $2 million cash bond. A criminal charge is an allegation, and he has not been convicted. Police said the investigation remains active as authorities work to confirm the remains’ identity, establish the cause of death and determine a possible motive.
Author note: Last updated July 14, 2026.