A South L.A. taco stand long known for its late-night crowds is now at the center of a homicide case, as prosecutors say the co-owner and two employees were involved in a plot that ended with a coworker’s charred remains in the trunk of her own car.
The victim, 47-year-old Soledad Lopez, was last seen leaving work on Sept. 7, 2025. Prosecutors say her burned body was later found in the trunk of her Honda Civic at a South L.A. tow yard. The newly reported filings tie Ricos Tacos Naomi co-owner Mariana Yepez and other staff to an alleged conspiracy, while one coworker already faces a murder charge in the killing.
Family members tracked Lopez to a scorched Honda Civic that had been impounded at a South L.A. tow yard, where detectives found partially charred remains in the trunk. Co-worker Sandra Romo Diaz was arrested in mid-September and charged with murder. Police records show the car had been towed from the 6800 block of South Flower Street before the tow-yard discovery, and investigators executed multiple search warrants during the missing-person probe. As reported by the Sacramento Bee, Diaz pleaded not guilty and was held in connection with the killing.
In April, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office filed conspiracy-to-commit-murder charges that name Yepez and another employee, Oscar Villafranca. Prosecutors say Villafranca left the United States in September, and that Yepez was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement last year before being transferred back to county custody on June 2. Yepez remains jailed on a $2 million hold as the case moves forward, and prosecutors say they will seek extradition for Villafranca if he can be located. These developments were detailed in reporting by the Los Angeles Times.
Surveillance, Settlement Money and the Alleged Plot
According to court transcripts and surveillance described by prosecutors, Lopez was seen leaving a taco stand with Diaz and heading to a warehouse tied to the business. Investigators say Diaz was then captured on camera leaving and returning to the building with two gas canisters, before later driving away in Lopez’s vehicle.
Detectives contend Lopez died before the car was set on fire, and that extreme fire damage made it impossible to determine a precise cause of death. Diaz allegedly suffered burns while trying to incinerate the vehicle.
The Los Angeles Times also reports that the dispute may have stemmed from an earlier car-crash settlement: Lopez received roughly $11,500 that prosecutors say was endorsed by Yepez and never paid out. Yepez’s lawyer has countered that “she’s done nothing wrong.”
Legal Status and Next Steps
The prosecutions are now running on two tracks. Diaz faces a county murder case tied to the burned vehicle, while the conspiracy counts against Yepez and others aim to connect additional suspects to Lopez’s death. Prosecutors told reporters they plan to pursue extradition for the employee who left the country, and courts will sort pretrial motions, evidence disputes and scheduling as the case proceeds. The initial arrest and charging of Diaz were reported earlier by the Sacramento Bee.
The killing has added to a string of recent, disturbing discoveries of human remains across Los Angeles County that local outlets have tracked while investigators chase scattered leads and tow-yard tips. Workers at street-food stands and neighborhood customers say the case has rattled communities that once saw these vendors as familiar fixtures, and family members continue to press for answers as prosecutors build their case. Earlier local coverage of the tow-yard discovery appears in a Hoodline roundup of recent remains cases and investigations into the region’s towing and impound leads: human remains cases and tow-yard tips.
