AG: Woman found by Border Patrol in El Paso van abuse case leads to 20-year plea
A woman found by Border Patrol in a van at an El Paso port of entry later died, leading to a 20-year plea in a New Mexico abuse case.
Victim with developmental disabilities was discovered during port-of-entry inspection before dying weeks later, prosecutors say
Organ Mountain News report
LAS CRUCES - A woman with developmental disabilities who was found by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents in a van at an El Paso port of entry later died from abuse and neglect, leading to a plea agreement that carries a minimum of 20 years in prison, New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez announced Monday.
Angelita Chacon pleaded to charges including abuse of a resident resulting in death, false imprisonment and conspiracy to commit kidnapping in connection with the 2023 death of 38-year-old Mary Melero, who was autistic, according to the New Mexico Department of Justice.
Authorities say Melero was discovered Feb. 27, 2023, during an inspection at the Bridge of the Americas Port of Entry in El Paso. Agents found her wrapped in a blanket and lying on the floorboard in the back of a passenger van, according to previous statements from the Attorney General’s Office and reporting by the Santa Fe New Mexican.
Prosecutors said Melero was severely dehydrated, drugged and suffering from open wounds, chronic bedsores with exposed bone, bruises and lacerations when she was found.
She was transported for medical treatment but died April 7, 2023, according to authorities.
The Attorney General’s Office said the defendants had been attempting to take Melero to Mexico for medical treatment when she was discovered.
Chacon and co-defendant Patricia Hurtado were charged in May 2023. Prosecutors said the case involved extreme abuse and neglect of a vulnerable adult.
Under the plea agreement, Chacon faces between 20 and 30 years in prison, with sentencing to be scheduled at a later date.
“This case is a heartbreaking reminder of the devastating consequences of abuse against our most vulnerable New Mexicans,” Attorney General Raúl Torrez said Monday in a statement. “Mary Melero deserved care, dignity, and protection, not exploitation and harm. Today’s conviction ensures accountability and makes clear that anyone who exploits vulnerable individuals will face severe, life-altering consequences."
The defendants have also been ordered to pay $3.3 million in restitution, including $2.5 million to Melero’s estate and more than $861,000 to the state of New Mexico, according to the Attorney General’s Office.
Authorities said multiple agencies assisted in the investigation, including the FBI, New Mexico State Police, Rio Rancho Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico.
Las Cruces man charged in BLM storage building burglary, police say — Investigators say a suspect used bolt cutters to break into a Bureau of Land Management storage building and was identified through surveillance images.
FBI Teen Academy returns to Las Cruces and Albuquerque in 2026 — The FBI is accepting applications for its annual youth academy program, offering students a behind-the-scenes look at federal law enforcement.
Las Cruces Callecitas project to bring shade structures, construction starting April 6 — A city project aims to add shade and pedestrian improvements in downtown Las Cruces, with construction now underway.
