On a quiet evening in Baja California’s El Centenario district, the lifeless body of Aracely Romero Acevedo was discovered inside a vehicle — and with it came an accusation that has left two families, two nations, and multiple law-enforcement agencies reeling.
According to prosecutors, Aracely’s alleged killer is the man identified only as Erik N. — the father of her children — who is accused of murdering her in Long Beach, California, then transporting her body across the U.S.-Mexico border into Baja California in an attempt to evade capture.
Emergency responders, acting on a tip after 8:30 p.m. Saturday, found the victim in the passenger seat of a car in El Centenario, La Paz, Rancho San José del Cabo — with no vital signs and visible signs of violence including indications consistent with strangulation.
Investigators say Erik committed the murder in Long Beach, then drove into Mexico via Tijuana before abandoning the vehicle in Baja California. Mexican authorities confirmed that Erik, who has reportedly lived in the United States without legal status for over 20 years, was already under investigation for unrelated matters in Tijuana.
In a heartbreaking twist, Aracely’s pre-teen son, Erik Almanza, recounted how his father called him around the time of the murder and admitted what he had done. “He told me what he did, and I couldn’t believe it,” Almanza said. “My mother didn’t deserve this — she was a loving, hardworking woman.”
Law-enforcement efforts are now operating on a binational level: the U.S. side — including the Long Beach Police Department, the Los Angeles Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation — are coordinating with the Baja California State Attorney General’s Office to ensure proper investigative and legal procedures are pursued across borders.
Aracely’s sudden and violent death has sparked grief and outrage on both sides of the border. Her family in Mexico and the U.S. is now left navigating loss, disbelief, and the complicated legal territory of cross-border crime. Mexican prosecutors have stated that even though the offense occurred in the U.S., they will “continue with the corresponding legal actions” given the suspect’s open case file in Tijuana.
As this case unfolds, it stands as a stark reminder of how deeply the U.S.–Mexico border intertwines issues of migration, family and domestic violence, and international law enforcement. While the investigation continues, one thing remains clear: behind the statistics and headlines was a mother and children whose lives were forever changed.