Killer Unaware of CCTV Recording His Actions

Authorities have confirmed that the primary suspect in the murder of Lesly Palacio is now in custody in Mexico. However, it remains unclear how long it will be before he appears in a Las Vegas courtroom.

Palacio's family has been awaiting justice for nearly four years, and they are now closer to achieving it. "At the end of the day, a young girl who was 22 years old was viciously murdered," they stated during a vigil shortly after her death. "Her body was found in the desert, and Lesly did not deserve that. Nobody deserves that."

In the aftermath of her murder, the family sought help from the community to find her killer, Erick Rangel-Ibarra. After years filled with unanswered questions and prayers, authorities have confirmed that Rangel-Ibarra was apprehended by Mexican officials and is currently being held pending extradition to the United States.

"Fugitives can hide for a long time," noted Phil Ramos, a retired homicide detective with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. "In this case, thankfully, he wasn’t gone for too long. A couple of years is about average in cases like this before someone gets caught."

Rangel-Ibarra is the sole suspect in Palacio's murder, which occurred after she was last seen alive on August 29, 2020. Her remains were discovered two weeks later near the Valley of Fire, leading to a lengthy investigation. "I’m sure our guys knew where he was, and the FBI had information on his whereabouts," Ramos added. "This is the person we want. But there’s a lot of red tape to navigate before he can be brought back."

The case received heightened attention after video footage surfaced showing Rangel-Ibarra and his father, Jose Rangel, moving Palacio's body from their home. This footage was presented to a grand jury in 2021, depicting Rangel-Ibarra returning home with Palacio early on the morning of her death, followed by the two men dragging a body from the residence. Initially, Jose Rangel claimed that Palacio's death was an overdose, but he later admitted to assisting his son in disposing of her body.
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