Maria Del Carmen Cedillo-Figueroa, a 28-year-old Hispanic woman, was found dead on December 7, 2020, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Her body was discovered on the side of the roadway in the 4000 block of High Point Road after officers responded to an "unknown trouble" call. Preliminary investigative findings indicated that foul play was likely involved in the incident.
The North Carolina Medical Examiner's Office later determined that Maria Del Carmen Cedillo-Figueroa died as a result of gunshot wounds, leading the investigation to be classified as a homicide.
The investigation revealed that Maria Del Carmen Cedillo-Figueroa had been in a dating relationship with David Mejia Luna, a 26-year-old man. On March 10, 2021, the Winston-Salem Police Department arrested and charged David Mejia Luna with murder. Additionally, his cousin, Andres Mejia Arellanes, a 38-year-old man, was also arrested and charged in connection with the homicide. Both men were taken into custody as suspects in the murder of Maria Del Carmen Cedillo-Figueroa.
The case of Maria Del Carmen Cedillo-Figueroa's death marked the 26th homicide reported in Winston-Salem in 2020. The investigation into her death was conducted by the Winston-Salem Police Department's Criminal Investigations Division. The police urged anyone with information regarding the case to contact the Winston-Salem Police Department or CrimeStoppers. The arrests of David Mejia Luna and Andres Mejia Arellanes brought some closure to the investigation, but the tragic loss of Maria Del Carmen Cedillo-Figueroa remains a somber reminder of the violence that can occur within communities.
