Timeline Related To Death Of Adam Espinoza

Timeline of events in the slaying of Adam Espinoza. Espinoza was traveling alone from San Antonio to San Diego when he was killed. The information below was taken from the State of New Mexico’s criminal complaint against Anthony, New Mexico resident Jorge M. Murillo, one of three accused by the state of being involved in Espinoza’s death.

JANUARY 4, 2010

4pm – Adam Espinoza leaves San Antonio

9:50pm – Contacted mother Olivia Espinoza

10:15pm – Contacted sister Genevieve Engelbrecht.

Adam tells them he’s 50 miles away from El Paso.

10:42pm – Adam used at gas station in Fabens

JANUARY 5, 2010

7:14 pm – Alejandra Herrera uses cell phone to call Robert Lascano, who is in possession of Adam’s cell phone

JANUARY 8, 2010

10:46am – Phone pinged near US-70 and I-25

Robert Lascano and Alejandra Herrera detained at traffic stop. Alejandra Herrera got a citation for possession of marijuana. Lascano is arrested; the license plate on the vehicle they were in does not match the vehicle’s identification number.

JANUARY 10, 2010

Passers-by spot vehicle off Highway 404. A man’s remains were in the trunk of the burnt out car.

JANUARY 12, 2010

-Vehicle’s identification number (VIN) recovered from burnt vehicle

-Autopsy conducted in Albuquerque

JANUARY 14, 2010

9:30am – Medical examiner identified remains through dental records as those of Adam Espinoza

JANUARY 15, 2010

Investigators match the call logs for Alejandra Herrera and Adam Espinoza.

JANUARY 17, 2010

4:56pm – New Mexico State Police & Anthony PD execute search warrant on Alejandra Herrera’s home. She and her family follow NMSP investigator to Las Cruces.

6:39pm – Alejandra Herrera interviewed by investigators. She tells them she and Robert Lascano were in California from December 23 to January 5, when they arrived in Anthony, TX. She tells them she and Lascano went to Javier Orozco’s home and saw “a lot of new items,” including a Playstation 3, video games, small plasma TV, Blackberry phone and plastic bags full of clothes.

Orozco gives the phone to Lascano. Herrera tells investigators she and Lascano sold the phone.

Asked if Orozco had anything to do with Adam Espinoza’s death, Alejandra Herrera stated “him and two other guys.”

9:24pm – Robert Lascano interviewed at a Dona Ana Co. detention center. Tells investigators the phone he got from Orozco had been “wiped clean of all the telephone numbers and information on it.” “He then said that Javier Orozco told him that he needed to (sell) the items for drugs and move the items soon.” Lascano tells investigators that Javier Orozco “told him that Irvin “Shadow” Ramirez and … George “Phatboy” had taken the items from a guy at the rest area at the state line in New Mexico. Robert Lascano then informed them that Javier Orozco also said that they had told the guy in the car to give them his stuff or they were going to shoot him. Robert Lascano said Javier Orozco told him they shot him (Adam Espinoza) and burned the body.”

Robert Lascano told investigators he kept the phone for two days “but felt uncomfortable possessing the phone because he kept receiving text messages from Adam Espinoza’s family.”

He later sold it for $120.

JANUARY 18, 2010

Search warrants executed on 2 homes; investigators interviewed Javier Orozco, Jorge Murillo and Irvin Ramirez.

Orozco signs the juvenile waiver of rights form and initially tells investigators he needed clothes for school and bought bags of clothes for less than $80 from two guys who showed up to his house. He says he doesn’t know who the guys were, just that they were “Aztecas.”

After investigators tell Orozco they have good information telling them he was involved in the death of Adam Espinoza, he tells them:

-He, Ramirez and Murillo went to the rest area to smoke marijuana.

-Irvin Ramirez stated they were going to “jack” the first person that showed up.

-After coming out of the bathroom, Orozco watches Irvin Ramirez tell Adam Espinoza “brace yourself” and to “give him all his money.”

“Javier Orozco stated Adam Espinoza told him he didn’t have any money to give him and he was going to have to shoot him if he wanted to take his stuff. The affiant learned from Javier Orozco that Irvin Ramirez shot Adam Espinoza in the head and three time in the body with a .22 caliber pistol.”

-The three teens leave the rest area because an RV was pulling in. They return to Orozco’s house, then went back to the rest area.

Orozco drives Murillo’s car back to his house while Ramirez and Murillo take care of the vehicle. When Murillo and Ramirez return to Orozco’s house, they unload Adam Espinoza’s belongings. The three go to the gas station and purchase gasoline. They go to a site off Hwy 404 and Murillo burns the vehicle. “Javier Orozco advised the Affiant that Irvin Ramirez had threatened to kill him if he said anything.”

Jorge Murillo had some of Adam Espinoza’s belongings and was in charge of pawning them.

3:55pm – Murillo requests to speak with investigator and tells him “he had been thinking and he wanted to set the record straight.”

He tells the investigator that he, Orozco and Ramirez went to the rest stop to rob people. After waiting 20-30 minutes, Adam Espinoza arrives. Murillo says “Orozco approached Adam Espinoza’s vehicle first and knocked on the window to ask for a cigarette. Once Adam Espinoza rolled the window down, Irvin Ramirez walked up with the gun. Jorge Murillo stated he didn’t hear any shots fired but approximately twenty to thirty seconds after they approached the vehicle, Javier (Orozco) ran back to Jorge (Murillo’s) car and had blood on his hands, a Blackberry phone and $10 cash. Irvin Ramirez ran up to the car and had numerous blood spots all over his shirt, but for whatever reason he ran back to Adam Espinoza’s car. Jorge Murillo statedhe got scared and took off.”

Murillo tells investigator he was taking Orozco home when Ramirez called and told them to meet them at the frontage road with some gasoline. Ramirez takes them to the ridge where the vehicle was burned. Ramirez lights the back seat on fire and sends it down the hill. He then runs down the hill, looked in the car and said they’re “not going to find anything.” The vehicle exploded as the three were walking up the hill.

JANUARY 22, 2010

18-year-old Jorge Murillo, 16-year-old Irvin Ramirez, and 15-year-old Javier Orosco, all facing charges related to Adam Espinoza’s death, make their first appearance in court in Dona Ana County.

MAY 20, 2011

Ramirez, now 18, is found guilty of first degree murder, receiving stolen property, and tampering with evidence.