FIREBAUGH, CALIFORNIA: A couple of men, including the ex-partner of the missing teenager Melanie Stephanie Rios Camacho, were arrested in California after authorities found the young woman’s remains in an orchard not far from where authorities found her car on fire just days ago.
The woman’s ex-boyfriend, Vicente Jasso, 23, has been booked by Madera County Sheriff’s Office on suspected murder and Jose Lopez-Hernandez, 22, a friend to Jasso, was taken into custody for accessory to murder, according to a police statement. They are detained at the Madera County Jail.
Vicente Jasso had a criminal past
Police noted that Jasso and Camacho had dated for a few months but had broken up just a few days before Thanksgiving. Besides, Jasso has a criminal background that includes a history of domestic abuse dating back to 2016, Fresno ABC affiliate KFSN reported.
“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’ve been this Friday,” Sheriff Tyson Pogue said during a press conference late Monday, November 27.
When was Melanie Stephanie Rios Camacho reported missing?
As per surveillance footage and witness interviews, Camacho left her job at AutoZone in Madera around 10.15 pm on November 24. The victim's 2014 white Nissan Altima was spotted on the roadway near her job around 10.30 pm, just a half-hour before her mother received a text from her daughter saying she planned to meet “with a friend” after work.
However, when she didn't return home, her mother reported her missing around 6.45 am on November 25.
“Tracking of Melanie’s phone had been disabled at some point prior to her call with authorities,” police said, adding “Melanie didn’t show up for her shift at AutoZone later that morning. Detectives spoke with the friend she told her mom she’d be meeting, who reported they never met after work, but rather Melanie planned to meet with an ‘ex’ to either give or receive something.”
How did the police track down the suspects?
Police apparently received a call about a car on fire in the area within two hours of Camacho’s mother reporting her missing and unfortunately it was Camacho's. Witnesses told police they saw a blue Ford Mustang with a black hood being driven around the same area where her car was found.
After going through the surveillance footage, police said they were able to determine that the Mustang belonged to Lopez-Hernandez. He was brought in for questioning that night and police executed a search warrant on his home shortly afterward.
The warrant led them to the orchard near a rural highway where officers located Camacho’s remains. Police said that by then they had made Vicente Jasso their primary suspect. Officers spotted him at around 7 am on Monday driving around Madera in a minivan. That’s when California Highway Patrol attempted to stop him.
According to The Fresno Bee, a chase got underway, with speeds in excess of 110 miles per hour. Jasso was finally stopped in his tracks due to a spike strip that caused his tires to rupture. Though Jasso managed to escape on foot briefly and hide in a residential neighborhood but was ultimately captured with the help of a police helicopter.
Police said on Monday, November 27, that during the high-speed pursuit, some of Camacho’s belongings were tossed by Jasso from his car window, including the woman’s driver’s license.
