On November 6, 2015, 26-year-old Veronica Mercado and her nearly 2-year-old daughter, Linette Cano, were found fatally shot in their southeast Houston home. The discovery was made after a concerned friend contacted police, leading officers to the residence in the 7800 block of Elvera Street. Inside, they found Mercado holding her daughter, both having suffered multiple gunshot wounds.
The front door showed signs of forced entry, and investigators noted a history of domestic violence between Mercado and her ex-boyfriend, Jonathan Figueroa.
Figueroa, 23 at the time, was charged with capital murder in connection with the deaths. Authorities believed he fled toward the Mexican border in a maroon Ford Taurus with Texas license plates CTS3225. Despite efforts to locate him, including public appeals and coordination with border patrol, Figueroa remained at large. In March 2024, reports surfaced suggesting he might be hiding in Guerrero, Mexico, possibly at his parents' residence in San Miguel Totolapan.
Mercado, a mother of three, worked at a local bakery and was remembered by colleagues as a kind and dedicated individual. Her tragic death, along with that of her young daughter, highlighted the severe consequences of domestic violence and underscored the challenges law enforcement faces in apprehending suspects who flee jurisdiction. The case remains unresolved, leaving her surviving children and family members seeking justice and closure.
