Video: Arrest made in Lake Ballinger murder
MOUNTLAKE TERRACE, Wash. - A Lynnwood man has been arrested for investigation of murder in the death of a 17-year-old Britney Galindez, whose body was found in Lake Ballinger a week ago.
On Saturday, police in Everett arrested 21-year-old Robert Christian Langendoerfer for tagging. Mountlake Terrace Police considered him their prime suspect in Galindez's murder, and on Tuesday his bail was set at $1 million. Prosecutors have until Thursday to officially charge him.
Mountlake Terrace Police say on the night of Oct. 13, Britney Galindez was riding around in a car and drinking with five boys from a local gang. At some point, Britney got sick and vomited in the car, which made some of the boys mad.
Det. Sgt. Doug Hansen of Mountlake Terrace Police said they attempted to clean the car and drove to the lake.
"They try to clean it out some more, get out on the dock, and there Mr. Langendoerfer puts Britney on the dock, strangles her and stabs her with a screwdriver," said Hansen. "To make sure she was actually dead, the suspect held her under water."
Police say several other boys from the car that evening have cooperated with them, and now they are actively searching for 17-year-old Mario Ibanez.
"Mr. Ibanez is somebody that we need to talk to regarding his actions on the dock," said Hansen.
Brandee Strichertz is engaged to Britney's stepfather.
She said they knew from Britney's MySpace page she might be associating with gangs, but hadn't been overly concerned.
"She was going to be 18. She was pretty much an adult, going to pretty much do what she wanted to do," she said.
Now, she's urging anyone who knows where Ibanez may be to come forward.
"Don't wait, don't wait like we had to wait to find out what happened to Britney, don't sit back if you know something," she said.
