MOUNTLAKE TERRACE – A Seattle teenager likely was killed because she got sick in a car after drinking, angering her friends, according to a police report released today.
An Edmonds man, Robert C. Langendoerfer 21, was arrested early this morning in connection with the killing of Britney Galindez. Police also said they are looking for a second suspect, identified as Mario “Pelon” Ibanez, 17.
A judge today ordered Langendoerfer held on $1 million bail and ordered him not to have any contact with Ibanez and other witnesses in the case.
Police said they want to talk to Ibanez, who they believe was present during the killing and is known to frequent the area along Highway 99 from Shoreline to south Everett.
Galindez, 17, was last seen hanging out with friends on the night of Oct. 13, the police report said. The group allegedly was driving around drunk when Galindez threw up, witnesses told police.
Six people were crammed into a Honda Accord, Mountlake Terrace police Sgt. Doug Hansen said.
The group drove to Lake Ballinger to clean up the car and some of them went to the dock, the report said.
That’s where Langendoerfer allegedly started to strangle Galindez and then stabbed her in the neck with a screwdriver, according to the report.
Police believe Langendoerfer threw the teenager into the water, waded in after her and held her head under for about five minutes until she was dead, the report said.
“In a moment of derangement, he strangled and stabbed her and threw her body in the lake,” Hansen said at a press conference today.
Langendoerfer, a convicted felon with a long criminal history, allegedly told the witnesses he would kill them as well if they talked to police. Two witnesses told police the same account of the evening’s event, the police report said.
Galindez was found dead in the lake Oct. 21.
Hansen said Langendoerfer is well known to police throughout south Snohomish County. He was jailed Saturday by Everett police for investigation of first-degree malicious mischief.
Everett police arrested him in connection with "tagging" or graffiti, found on buildings near Horizon Elementary, Everett police Sgt. Robert Goetz said.
The suspect was re-booked early this morning for investigation of first-degree murder. He is not cooperating with detectives, Hansen said.
Police believe Galindez was a member of Vatos Locos 13, a criminal street gang. She was the only girl in the car the night she died and may have been the only member of her gang.
The others in the car were members of another street gang, but not known rivals, Hansen said. Police do not believe the killing was the result of a gang dispute.
Reached by phone earlier today, Daniel Bittick, Galindez’s step father, said he was relieved an arrest had been made.
