Sergeant Major Arrested for Killing 19-Year-Old Soldier After She Reported Sexual Harassment in Military Barracks

A Sergeant Major, identified as Yair Manuel Ramírez de la Cruz, has been arrested for the murder of 19-year-old soldier Private Stephany Carmona Rojas inside her barracks in Acapulco, Mexico.

Initially, military officials claimed Stephany died in a “shooting range accident”, but further investigations revealed signs of head injuries inconsistent with the report.

Following the incident, Ramírez de la Cruz fled the scene, prompting a widespread manhunt. He was eventually captured on Saturday morning, October 18, and is now being detained in a military prison.

Reports indicate that before her death, Stephany had filed multiple complaints about sexual and workplace harassment within the National Guard. She had also taken to social media, expressing fear of retaliation if she continued reporting the abuse.

Stephany died while serving in the 51st Battalion of the National Guard.
Reacting to her tragic death, her mother, María Fernanda Carmona, said:“I gave her to them alive and they returned her to me dead.

“Nothing they told me makes sense, my daughter wasn’t at shooting practice, she was murdered.

“I want justice, and for no one else to experience what she did.”

Stephany was laid to rest on October 17 at the San Juan Bautista Cemetery in her hometown of Ajalpan, located in Puebla State.

The suspect is expected to stand trial in a military court in connection with her death.