Man stabbed, killed mother at Airbnb; occupant said he rattled doorknob to her room, SAPD says

Police spoke with suspect after another occupant called 911, but officers left without knowing woman was dead upstairs

SAN ANTONIO – A man who checked into an Airbnb with his mother has been charged with killing her, according to San Antonio police.

An arrest warrant affidavit states that Fabian Andres Aranda Rodriguez, 31, stabbed Maritza Rodriguez, 68, early Monday at the home in the 5800 block of Clipper Port, not far from Randolph Boulevard and South Weidner Road on the Northeast Side.

Her body was found by the homeowner at around 7:30 a.m., hours after another occupant reported an eerie series of events, as detailed in the affidavit.

The affidavit states that the Rodriguez’s checked into the Airbnb before 8 p.m. on Sunday. At the time, Maritza Rodriguez identified herself as the man’s mother, the homeowner told police.

At 3:30 a.m. Monday, another woman staying at the Airbnb called the homeowner and stated she heard “screaming and arguing coming from somewhere in the home,” but the police were not called.

At 5:17 a.m., the same female occupant texted the homeowner and said that a male “had been rattling the doorknob to her room.”

The woman then called the police, and responding officers spoke with both the woman and Fabian Rodriguez.

He told police that he went to the woman’s door “accidentally.” While the female occupant left the home, Fabian Rodriguez stayed there.

At 7 a.m., the homeowner drove to the Airbnb and saw Fabian Rodriguez walking away, the affidavit states.

Fabian Rodriguez then walked back to the home and spoke with the homeowner. Because of the incidents reported overnight, the homeowner asked him to leave, the affidavit states.

Fabian Rodriguez then left in a vehicle believed to be a rideshare.

As Fabian Rodriguez left, the homeowner went upstairs and found Maritza Rodriguez stabbed multiple times and covered in blood. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Officers reviewed surveillance footage from the home, and videos showed the suspect walking from their room to the bathroom and downstairs several times, the affidavit states.

He was seen carrying a towel from the bathroom at 4:40 a.m., and he left the room with luggage and a bundle of bloody clothes at 4:56 a.m.

The same bundle was found in a trash can in the backyard, along with a knife, the affidavit states. Police said it appears the man used a knife from the Airbnb because one was missing from the kitchen.

According to a preliminary report from SAPD, Fabian Rodriguez was found at the San Antonio airport early Wednesday morning.

He was arrested without incident and charged with murder, police said. His bond is set at $250,000.

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About the Author

Rebecca Salinas is an award-winning digital journalist who joined KSAT in 2019. She reports on a variety of topics for KSAT 12 News.

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