Erick Rangel-Ibarra, 30, has pleaded not guilty to murder and destroying evidence in the 2020 killing of Las Vegas resident Lesly Palacio. He fled to Mexico after being named a suspect and was arrested there in August 2024, then extradited to Las Vegas last month. In court on Thursday, he waived his right to a jury trial, and his trial is set for August 24, 2026. His father, Jose Rangel, pleaded guilty to being an accessory to murder and destroying evidence and served eight to nine months of a two-year sentence, according to FOX5 Vegas.
The case has drawn attention in Las Vegas since Lesly Palacio disappeared in August 2020, and her body was found near Valley of Fire State Park about two weeks later. The coroner suggested homicide, and Rangel-Ibarra faces related charges. After his extradition, Judge Tierra Jones gave him a one-week adjournment to review his legal representation options.
Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson said, "It was a little strange because you hear about something for five years, you wonder if he’s ever going to be returned back to see justice," referring to the suspect appearing in court in the case of Palacio's death, as reported by Hoodline. The suspect, Rangel-Ibarra, is an undocumented immigrant who arrived in the U.S. as an infant and was protected under DACA. His extradition involved legal and law enforcement coordination. The trial is pending, and the case has drawn public attention.
