On a September day in 2021, 21-year-old Hispanic/Latino male Esteban Mercado-Rangel was in the mesa of Bernalillo County, New Mexico, with a female companion, where they were legally firing a gun. As they prepared to leave, they encountered car trouble, a seemingly ordinary inconvenience that would soon spiral into a terrifying ordeal. Two men, Edgar Orona Camacho and his friend, Erick Garcia, approached the couple, ostensibly to offer assistance with their vehicle.
However, their intentions were far from helpful, and the situation took a dark and violent turn.
Instead of providing aid, Camacho fatally shot Esteban Mercado-Rangel. The senseless act of violence left the young woman in a state of shock and terror. Following the shooting, the two men forced her into Mercado-Rangel's car and began driving back toward Albuquerque, effectively kidnapping her. In a desperate bid for freedom, the young woman managed to jump from the moving vehicle and escape her captors. Her bravery and quick thinking allowed her to get away and report the horrific events to the authorities.
The subsequent investigation into the murder and kidnapping led to the identification and arrest of both Edgar Orona Camacho and Erick Garcia. In July of 2023, Edgar Orona Camacho pleaded guilty to charges of second-degree murder and kidnapping for his role in the death of Esteban Mercado-Rangel. As a result of his guilty plea, he faced a likely sentence of 25 years in the Department of Corrections. The case against the co-defendant, Erick Garcia, was reported to still be pending at the time of Camacho's plea.
