Two sentenced in fatal Mercedes kidnapping attempt, one fails to show

Two women involved in the fatal attempted kidnapping of two Mercedes men in early 2023 were sentenced Wednesday while a third woman failed to show at her sentencing hearing, according to court documents.

Ashley Dinhora Evelin Orozco, 18, Joselyn Gabriela Lomeli, 20, and Rosalba Sarahi Ruiz Garcia, 18, were involved in an attempted kidnapping that resulted in the death of the 19-year-old Carlos Garcia Ruiz, the one who authorities say orchestrated the failed kidnapping.

Carlos Garcia Ruiz was accidentally shot by one of his alleged co-conspirators during the attempted kidnapping which he planned.

Ashley Dinhora Evelin Orozco was sentenced to five years probation Wednesday while Lomeli was sentenced to five years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

Ashley Dinhora Evelin Orozco and Lomeli pleaded guilty to aggravated kidnapping with a deadly weapon. Charges of murder, tampering with physical evidence, a count of aggravated kidnapping with a deadly weapon, aggravated robbery and conspiracy to commit aggravated kidnapping with a deadly weapon were dismissed.

The judge directed Lomeli’s attorney to file a motion for shock probation on her behalf.

Along with the alleged kidnappers were Ashley Dinhora Evelin Orozco’s older sister, 21-year-old Esmeralda Lee Orozco and 22-year-old Gerson Escobar Orellana.

Orellana was sentenced to seven years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice on July 29 after pleading guilty to aggravated kidnapping with a deadly weapon.

Rosalba Sarahi Ruiz Garcia was also scheduled to appear for sentencing on Wednesday but did not appear. A warrant for her arrest has been issued.

Esmeraldo Lee Orozco was placed in custody again after failing to appear for a July hearing on Oct. 22.

She is charged with murder, tampering with physical evidence, two counts of aggravated kidnapping with a deadly weapon, aggravated robbery and conspiracy to commit aggravated kidnapping with a deadly weapon.

Rosalba Sarahi Ruiz Garcia is facing the same charges.

The aggravated attempted kidnapping happened at around 3:46 a.m. at 6833 Vera Lane in rural Mercedes.

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One of the men told investigators that two armed masked men showed up at his home and pointed a rifle to his head.

“One of the men pushed a gun against the back of [his] head with the butt of the rifle causing the rifle to go off and strike the second male subject,” a probable cause affidavit said.

The other man said that two women and three armed men showed up at the home. One armed man pushed a gun to the back of his head and placed him inside a truck faced down until the gunshot went off. The armed man then told him to get out of the truck and walk away slowly or he would shoot him.

The man added that he saw one of the girls take his friend’s red 2014 Ford Fusion.

As the investigation was developing, deputies learned that Carlos Garcia Ruiz was taken to Knapp Medical Center in Weslaco with a gunshot wound to the head. He was pronounced dead there.

The affidavit states that Rosalba Sarahi Ruiz Garcia and Lomeli had dropped him off at the hospital and returned later where they were taken into custody after admitting their involvement in the aggravated kidnapping attempt.

Investigators also learned that Esmeralda Lee Orozco and Ashley Dinhora Evelin Orozco planned to meet up with one of the attempted kidnapping victims to “hook up.”

That’s when he sent them his address.

Esmeralda Lee Orozco remains jailed without a bond and is scheduled to appear before state District Judge Joe Ramirez for a status hearing in November.

She has pleaded not guilty to the charges.