In the summer of 2018, the life of 41-year-old Lucy Mojica was cut tragically short in her Wichita, Kansas home. On July 7th, a day that began like any other, ended in a hail of gunfire that left Mojica dead and a manhunt for her killer underway. The female victim's relationship with 27-year-old Juan Carlos Caballeros-Yescas had recently fallen apart, and he had moved out of their shared residence about a month prior to the incident.
In the time leading up to her death, Mojica had expressed fear for her safety, telling her ex-husband that Caballeros-Yescas had threatened her, saying, "If you're not with me, I'm going to kill you."
On that fateful Saturday, Mojica was at home with a friend. She was in a bedroom talking with her friend when she stepped into the kitchen to take a phone call. Moments later, the friend heard a knock at the door, followed by Mojica's voice in Spanish saying, "no, no, wait." The chilling sound of a gun being racked was followed by six to eight gunshots. After the initial barrage, the friend heard the gun being racked a second time. Hiding in a closet for safety, the friend waited until they heard a car speeding away before emerging to find Mojica lying on the kitchen floor. A call to 911 was made at 12:20 p.m., but despite being rushed to a local hospital, she was pronounced dead just 22 minutes later. An examination revealed she had sustained at least 16 wounds, and a bullet was found tangled in her hair.
Investigators quickly identified Juan Carlos Caballeros-Yescas as the primary suspect. It was discovered that he had been in a dating relationship with Mojica. In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, Caballeros-Yescas fled the scene and became a fugitive. He reportedly admitted the killing to friends and family, even threatening them to ensure their silence. For nearly two years, he remained at large, with authorities receiving tips that he may have fled to Texas or Mexico.
The search for Caballeros-Yescas came to an end on May 9, 2020, when he was located and arrested in El Paso, Texas. He was extradited back to Kansas to face charges of first-degree murder and aggravated burglary for the death of Lucy Mojica. In February 2022, he pleaded guilty to first-degree premeditated murder, as well as aggravated burglary and three counts of aggravated assault. Subsequently, a judge sentenced him to life in prison, with the possibility of parole after serving 25 years.
