A California man has been convicted of murdering his ex-girlfriend, Melanie Camacho, who was found dead in an orchard three days after disappearing from her job at AutoZone in 2023.
Vicente Jasso Convicted of Murder
Vicente Jasso, 23, was arrested for Melanie Camacho’s death and found guilty on Wednesday of murder with special circumstances of kidnapping and robbery. A Madera County jury convicted him, and Jasso now faces life in prison.
Second Suspect: Jose Lopez-Hernandez
A second suspect, Jose Lopez-Hernandez, a friend of Jasso, was sentenced in February 2025 to three years in prison after pleading guilty to being an accessory after the fact. Lopez-Hernandez has already been released from prison.
Camacho’s Disappearance and Discovery
Melanie Camacho, 19, was last seen leaving her shift at AutoZone on Gateway Drive in Madera at around 10:15 p.m. on November 24, 2023. She texted her mother at 11 p.m., saying she was meeting a friend after work. When she didn’t return home the next morning, her mother reported her missing.
Surveillance footage and witness interviews revealed that Camacho left her job in her 2014 white Nissan Altima around 10:30 p.m. The car was later found near the same area, but there was no sign of Melanie.
The Connection to Jasso
Police learned that Melanie had planned to meet with her ex-boyfriend, Vicente Jasso, rather than the friend she had mentioned to her mother. Jasso and Camacho had recently broken up just days before Thanksgiving 2023. Jasso also had a criminal history of domestic abuse dating back to 2016.
Within hours of Camacho’s mother reporting her missing, police found her car on fire. Witnesses reported seeing a blue Ford Mustang being driven in the same area, which led authorities to Lopez-Hernandez.
The car was traced to Lopez-Hernandez, and he was questioned. A search warrant executed at his home led to the discovery of Camacho’s body in an orchard near a rural highway.
Jasso’s Arrest and Pursuit
After Camacho’s body was found, Jasso became the primary suspect. The next morning, police spotted him driving a minivan in Madera. A high-speed chase ensued, with Jasso driving over 110 miles per hour, before he was eventually apprehended by authorities.
