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A Madera County jury has convicted a man accused of killing a 19-year-old woman who vanished after leaving her AutoZone shift and whose body was discovered days later in an orchard. The verdict closes a case that began with a late-night disappearance, a burned-out vehicle and a high-speed police chase that ended in an arrest.
The defendant, 23-year-old Vicente Jasso, was found guilty of murder with special circumstances including kidnapping and robbery, according to court records. He now faces a possible life sentence when he is formally sentenced in April.
How investigators pieced the case together
Authorities say the victim, identified as Melanie Camacho, was last seen leaving an AutoZone on Gateway Drive in Madera shortly before midnight on November 24, 2023. She sent a text that night to her mother saying she planned to meet a friend; when she did not return home, her mother reported her missing the following morning.
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Video surveillance and witness statements tracked Camacho driving a 2014 white Nissan Altima away from the store. Within hours of the missing-person report, officers were alerted to a vehicle fire in the area — later confirmed to be her car.
Detectives focused on two men after interviews and footage pointed to a blue Ford Mustang seen near the burned vehicle. The Mustang was linked to Jasso’s acquaintance, Jose Lopez-Hernandez, who later pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the fact and received a three-year sentence in February 2025; he has since been released.
- Late evening, Nov. 24, 2023: Camacho leaves work and sends a text about meeting someone.
- Early morning: family reports her missing; her car is found ablaze nearby.
- Search warrant executed at Lopez-Hernandez’s home; officers locate the orchard where the body was recovered.
- The next morning: police identify Jasso as the primary suspect and pursue him after spotting his vehicle.
- High-speed chase ends when a spike strip disables Jasso’s vehicle; he is arrested after briefly fleeing on foot.
During the chase and arrest
Police say Jasso was seen discarding items belonging to Camacho during the pursuit, including her driver’s license. Officers used a spike strip to stop his vehicle; he attempted to flee on foot but was taken into custody with support from an air unit.
Court files and law enforcement reports show Jasso has an extensive criminal record dating back to 2016, with prior arrests that include allegations of domestic violence, witness intimidation and traffic offenses. Prosecutors presented evidence at trial that led jurors to convict him on the most serious counts.
What comes next
With the guilty verdict entered, Jasso’s scheduled sentencing in mid-April will determine whether he receives a life term. Lopez-Hernandez’s earlier plea resolved that defendant’s role in the case; investigators have not publicly disclosed the official cause of Camacho’s death.
The case underscores continuing concerns about intimate-partner violence and the investigative challenges that follow late-night disappearances in rural areas. Local authorities say they will continue to work with prosecutors to ensure accountability and to provide answers for the victim’s family.
