Man seen tossing ex-girlfriend's driver's license after she disappeared from job at AutoZone is sentenced for her murder

A 25-year-old California antheral volition walk the remainder of his days down bars for kidnapping and killing his ex-girlfriend, a 19-year-old who vanished aft leaving her occupation astatine AutoZone and was recovered dormant successful an orchard 3 days later.

Madera County Superior Court Judge Ernest LiCalsi connected Thursday ordered Vicente Jasso to service beingness without the anticipation of parole, positive an further 25 years to beingness and 4 years and 4 months successful situation for the 2023 execution of Melanie Camacho, authorities announced.

A assemblage connected March 18 convicted Jasso connected the complaint of first-degree execution and recovered existent a peculiar condition allegation that the sidesplitting occurred during the committee of a kidnapping.

According to a news release from the Madera County District Attorney's Office, the condemnation marks the decision of a lawsuit that drew important engagement from the victim's family.

Prosecutors thanked members of the Madera County Sheriff's Office for their "hard work, dedication, and tenacity successful bringing this lawsuit to justice," portion besides acknowledging the Camacho family's "strength, courage, and continued engagement passim this case."

Camacho disappeared connected the nighttime of Nov. 24, 2023, aft finishing her displacement astatine an AutoZone store connected Gateway Drive successful Madera.

As Law&Crime previously reported, constabulary said she was past seen leaving enactment astir 10:15 p.m. and texted her parent astir an hr aboriginal to accidental she planned to conscionable a friend. When she did not instrumentality home, her parent reported her missing aboriginal the adjacent morning.

Investigators aboriginal determined that the gathering was not with a friend, but with Jasso, her ex-boyfriend, with whom she had precocious breached up.

"Detectives spoke with the person [Camacho] told her ma she'd beryllium meeting, who reported they ne'er met aft work, but alternatively Melanie planned to conscionable with an 'ex' to either springiness oregon person something," the constabulary connection said.

Within hours of the missing persons report, authorities located Camacho's burned 2014 achromatic Nissan Altima. The discovery, on with witnesser accounts and surveillance footage, led detectives to place Jasso and his associate, Jose Lopez-Hernandez, arsenic suspects.

A hunt warrant executed astatine Lopez-Hernandez's location yet led investigators to a adjacent orchard, wherever Camacho's assemblage was recovered 3 days aft she vanished.

Police said Jasso fled erstwhile officers attempted to halt him the pursuing day, starring authorities connected a high-speed pursuit that reached speeds of much than 110 mph. During the pursuit, helium allegedly threw immoderate of Camacho's belongings — including her driver's licence — retired of the vehicle.

The pursuit ended aft officers deployed a spike strip. Jasso concisely escaped connected ft earlier being captured with the assistance of a constabulary helicopter.

Lopez-Hernandez aboriginal pleaded blameworthy to being an accessory aft the information and was sentenced to 3 years successful prison.

Authorities person not publically disclosed Camacho's nonstop origin of death.

In announcing the sentence, prosecutors said their thoughts are with the victim's loved ones arsenic they proceed to header with the loss.

"Our thoughts and prayers stay with the Camacho household arsenic they proceed to navigate this unimaginable loss," the territory attorney's bureau said.