The Santa Rosa woman suspected of being at the center of a deadly love triangle dumped bullets behind a Farmers Lane shopping center in the hours after her jealous boyfriend is accused of shooting her lover to death, detectives testified Thursday.
Garicka Rush, 34, was evasive with police when questioned about the death of Jack Romero, 33, also of Santa Rosa, who was slain after the two met for drinks in 2011 at a downtown brewpub, police Sgt. Ryan Corcoran testified.
The former YMCA dance teacher wouldn't give her home address or say how she got to Third Street Ale Works, Corcoran said.
So police decided to follow her to see if she would provide any clues, he said. They waited outside her Amethyst Way home as she walked out and put a white plastic bag in her Chevy Avalanche, Det. Mark Azzouni testified. Then she loaded in two small children and drove away, he said.
She turned into the service entrance of a shopping center on Farmers Lane and parked next to a metal trash container behind an auto parts store, retired Det. Bryan Reynolds testified.
Reynolds said he watched her from a distance as she got out, walked near the garbage bin, looked around and then drove away.
He said he searched the trash container and uncovered a white Target bag containing a box of .40-caliber bullets - the same kind that were used to kill Romero.
Police suspected Rush was trying to cover up a crime committed by Ryan Dietz, 31, who was her longtime boyfriend and father of three of her children. Prosecutors believe Dietz shot Romero after finding him with Rush at the brewpub.
He later called on Rush to help conceal his involvement, police said.
Dietz pleaded not guilty to murder. His trial opened Monday. Testimony Thursday centered on his girlfriend's role.
Reynolds said the bullet box contained 24 live cartridges and 26 empty slots. Romero was shot 11 times, including eight times in the back, prosecutors said.
Police continued to follow Rush to another shopping center trash container where they said she disposed of other ammunition.
She was later arrested and charged with being an accessory. She's expected to testify later this month.
Meanwhile, police went to the company where Dietz worked in San Rafael and arrested him. They found his silver Toyota Sienna minivan parked nearby. It was similar to one witnesses said was parked outside the brewpub at the time of the shooting.
Inside Dietz's work truck, Reynolds said police found a cell phone, spare clothes and running shoes. They also found a ball cap. Witnesses said a man who got into the minivan after the shooting was wearing a ball cap.
A gun was not recovered.
(You can reach Staff Writer Paul Payne at 568-5312 or paul.payne@pressdemocrat.com.)
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