Killers Dragged N.J. Teen From Family Home and Executed Her in Brutal Gang-Ordered Murder, Officials Reveal
A violent criminal gang abducted, took across state lines, and murdered an 18-year-old Maryland teen visiting relatives in New Jersey this week, prosecutors said. Post-conviction details of a calculated and disturbing Elizabeth, New Jersey family home plot emerged.
Montgomery County officials convicted 24-year-old Frederick resident Iris Alonzo-Salgado of MS-13-ordered murder of Rosa Sanchez Merino. Her conviction is the first of four in a multistate investigation.
Her Gaithersburg, Maryland, murder victim knew two killers. They visited her Elizabeth, NJ, family in May 2023. Simple visit killed. Alonzo-Salgado and her associates drove the teen from Elizabeth to Maryland to plan the murder, according to
Investigators claim the group led Sanchez Merino into Maryland’s Olney woods. They gagged, kneeled, and machete-stabbed her to death. prosecutors say the group buried her in a new grave for months after the murder.
Four months later, Roberto Rivera-Delgado led detectives to the remote burial site, solving the case. Rivera-Delgado was arrested in Nevada for parole violation and extradited to Maryland the day before. He led officers to the teen’s remains in the woods.
Rivera-Delgado and Alonzo-Salgado admitted to first-degree murder, conspiracy, and murderous organization. Alonzo-Salgado’s sentence is January 21, Rivera-Delgado’s pending.
Third defendant Aracely Abarca-Melgar awaits trial. Prosecutors haven’t discussed the juvenile fourth defendant.
Officials say gangs planned and ordered the killing, highlighting cross-state violent criminal networks. Investigators from New Jersey, Maryland, and Nevada worked together to find the teen’s killer.
Alonzo-Salgado’s conviction is a turning point in a case that has shaken both states and raised important questions about gang influence, interstate crime, and vulnerable youth in dangerous circles.
Sources
Montgomery County State Attorney’s Office
Patch.com
