A young woman’s disappearance after a late shift ended in a multi-day search, a burned car, and a body found in an orchard.
MADERA, CA – A 25-year-old man will spend the rest of his life in prison after a Madera County judge sentenced him for the kidnapping and killing of his 19-year-old ex-girlfriend, who vanished after leaving her job at an AutoZone store and was found dead three days later. The sentence brings a close to a case that drew sustained attention from investigators and the victim’s family.
Madera County Superior Court Judge Ernest LiCalsi on Thursday ordered Vicente Jasso to serve life without the possibility of parole, along with an additional 25 years to life and four years and four months in prison for the 2023 killing of Melanie Camacho, according to the Madera County District Attorney’s Office. A jury on March 18 convicted Jasso of first-degree murder and found true a special circumstance that the killing occurred during a kidnapping.
Investigation traced final movements
Camacho disappeared the night of Nov. 24, 2023, after finishing her shift at an AutoZone on Gateway Drive. She was last seen leaving work around 10:15 p.m. and sent a text to her mother about an hour later saying she planned to meet a friend. When she did not return home, her mother reported her missing early the next morning.
Investigators later determined Camacho had not planned to meet a friend but her ex-boyfriend, Jasso, following a recent breakup. “Detectives spoke with the friend [Camacho] 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,” the police statement said.
Within hours of the missing persons report, Camacho’s burned 2014 white Nissan Altima was located. Authorities said witness accounts and surveillance footage led them to identify Jasso and his associate, Jose Lopez-Hernandez, as suspects. A search warrant executed at Lopez-Hernandez’s home led investigators to a nearby orchard, where Camacho’s body was discovered three days after she vanished.
High-speed chase and arrest
Authorities said Jasso fled when officers attempted to stop him the day after the body was found, leading law enforcement on a pursuit that exceeded 110 mph. During the chase, he allegedly threw some of Camacho’s belongings, including her driver’s license, out of the vehicle.
The pursuit ended after officers deployed a spike strip. Jasso then fled on foot before being apprehended with the assistance of a police helicopter.
Lopez-Hernandez later pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the fact and was sentenced to three years in prison.
Prosecutors credited law enforcement and the victim’s family for their roles throughout the case. They thanked members of the Madera County Sheriff’s Office for their “hard work, dedication, and tenacity in bringing this case to justice,” and acknowledged the Camacho family’s “strength, courage, and continued involvement throughout this case.”
In a statement following the sentencing, the district attorney’s office added, “Our thoughts and prayers remain with the Camacho family as they continue to navigate this unimaginable loss.”
Authorities have not publicly disclosed Camacho’s exact cause of death.
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