Angelica Chacon and Patricia Hurtado have been remanded into police custody after violating their conditions of release, according to the New Mexico Department of Justice (NMDOJ). The two defendants are accused of tampering with their GPS monitors and communicating via text, actions prohibited under their release terms. They face charges related to the abuse and neglect leading to the death of Mary Melero, a 38-year-old woman with developmental disabilities.
Melero was found by Customs and Border Patrol agents in a van, severely dehydrated and drugged, with multiple open wounds including chronic bedsores exposing bone, bruises, lacerations, and ligature marks. Earlier this month, the NMDOJ presented these violations to the court. After reviewing the evidence today, the court decided to remand both defendants.
The case is being handled by the NMDOJ’s Medicaid Fraud and Elder Abuse Bureau (MFEAB), which receives 75% of its funding from a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services grant totaling $3,451,202 for fiscal year 2025. The remaining 25%, amounting to $1,150,401 for fiscal year 2025, is funded by the State of New Mexico.
Information from this article can be found here.
