On May 29, 2024, at about 11:40 p.m., Carrboro police responded to reports of gunfire at the Estes Park Apartments, 306 Estes Drive Extension. Officers found 41-year-old Juan Maldonado Espinoza deceased in the parking lot from an apparent gunshot wound.

Investigators identified two suspects: 28-year-old Karla Maria Machuca and 30-year-old Dolores De Jesus Benavides Zelaya, both from Burlington, North Carolina. Machuca, who had a prior intimate relationship with Maldonado Espinoza, was arrested June 12 in Los Angeles and charged with first-degree murder, felony conspiracy, and felony attempted kidnapping. Sixteen days before the homicide she had been arrested for an alleged assault on Maldonado Espinoza. Benavides Zelaya, described as Machuca’s partner and co-parent, was arrested July 31 in Los Angeles on the same charges. Both were being extradited to North Carolina.

Anyone with additional information is asked to contact Investigator R. Trombley at the Carrboro Police Department or submit tips anonymously through CrimeStoppers. Want to share anything you know about Maldonado Espinoza or the events that night?