The police in Madera, California, have arrested Vicente Alexandro Jasso and Jose Lopez Hernandez on suspicion of the murder of teenager Melanie Rios Camacho.
Jasso, 23, is the ex-boyfriend of Camacho and has been charged with murder. Lopez Hernandez is charged with accessory to murder.
The 19-year-old Camacho was last seen alive as she left work on Friday evening (November 24) shortly after 10 p.m. Camacho texted her mom to say she was on her way to meet a friend; however, she never returned home, and her mom reported her missing on Saturday morning.
The police later talked to the friend, who said Camacho had actually arranged to meet up with her ex-boyfriend, Jasso, in order to give him or receive something from him. The couple had been dating for three months but split up three days before Thanksgiving.
On Saturday morning, a witness discovered Camacho’s burning 2014 white Nissan Altima near Madera’s Road 8 and Avenue 14. Other witnesses told detectives they had seen a suspicious-looking blue Ford Mustang with two occupants in the area.
Madera County Sheriff Tyson Pogue explained at a press conference, “The witness witnessed a blue Ford Mustang with a black hood pass his location on the street with one person inside, turn around near the vehicle that was on fire, and then return to his location with two persons inside.”
Investigators soon identified Jose Cornelio Lopez-Hernandez as the owner of the Mustang, and they took him in for questioning and searched his property.
Watch the Latest on our YouTube ChannelArrest of Lopez Hernandez led to remains of Madera County teenager Melanie Camacho
The cops uncovered information from Lopez Hernandez that led them to an orchard near Avenue 20 West, where they found the murdered remains of Camacho.
On Monday morning, the cops attempted a traffic stop on Jasso, but it turned into a dramatic high-speed chase involving Sheriff deputies and California Highway Patrol officers that led from Madera to Turlock to Atwater.
Eventually, Jasso bailed out of his minivan and fled on foot. He was found hiding in a residential neighborhood a short time later.
The cops say Jasso threw several items belonging to Camacho, including her driver’s license, out of the widow during the high-speed chase.
Jasso faces life in prison if convicted of first-degree murder.
Madero County Sheriff thanked officers and public for Vicente Jasso arrest
Sheriff Pogue thanked his department’s Investigation Bureau for working “non-stop” since Friday. He also thanked the public for their assistance.
Pogue also expressed sympathy to the victim’s family, stating, “To the family of Melanie, we are deeply sorry for your loss. Our thoughts and prayers are with you, especially as we approach Melanie’s 20th birthday, which would have been this Friday.”