Dino Rojas-Moreno, 26, faces death penalty if convicted
Tatum Goodwin’s family and friends packed the front rows of a small Orange County Superior Courtroom early Monday morning, Nov. 20 to watch as Laguna Beach bartender Dino Fabrizio Rojas-Moreno, accused of killing Goodwin, 27, with a fire extinguisher, entered a not guilty plea to a special circumstances murder charge through one of his defense lawyers, Chris Bou Saeed.
Rojas-Moreno, 26, has been charged with one felony count of murder, as well as enhancements of special circumstances of murdering the commission of a kidnapping and personal use of a weapon – a fire extinguisher, related to the slaying of Goodwin on Nov. 12.
During the 26-year-old’s arraignment hearing, Orange County Superior Court Judge Andre Manssourian addressed Rojas-Moreno only to verify his name, birth date and set his next pre-trial hearing date for Jan. 30.
The judge then ordered Rojas-Moreno to stay in jail with no chance of bail before dismissing him. Rojas-Moreno briefly looked around the gallery, then exited the courtroom.
Because of the special circumstances murder charge, Rojas-Moreno faces the death penalty or life in prison without parole if convicted.
On Friday, Nov. 17, the Orange County District Attorney’s Office released a statement saying Rojas-Moreno, who worked at the Royal Hawaiian on Coast Highway, approached Goodwin in a nearby parking lot on Ocean Avenue around 1 a.m. and assaulted her near her parked car.
“Rojas-Moreno then forcefully dragged her to the rear of the parking lot, down a short alley, and to a secluded area behind a movie theatre that was under construction,” the DA said in the release. “Rojas-Moreno is then accused of beating Goodwin to death with a fire extinguisher.”
At about 8:20 a.m. the same day, a construction worker found Goodwin’s body at construction site behind the South Coast Theatre.
Authorities said Goodwin’s body was found under a chain link fence at the construction site, with a sandbag on her head.
Prosecutors said that it’s still unknown whether Goodwin had any previous connection with Rojas-Moreno.
On the day of the murder, Rojas-Moreno didn’t show up to his shift at the Royal Hawaiian, claiming several men in Santa Ana had jumped him, authorities said.
“The loss of an innocent life is a travesty for the entire community,” Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said. “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.”
Karma will take care of him. I love you Tatum💋