In the Circuit Court for Montgomery County, Maryland, Judge Theresa Chernosky found Iris Alonzo-Salgado, 24, of Frederick, guilty of first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, and participating in a criminal organization resulting in death.
The verdict was delivered on Friday, November 14, 2025, following a bench trial after the defendant waived her right to a jury. Alonzo-Salgado faces up to two life sentences plus 25 additional years, with sentencing set for January 21, 2026.
According to the Montgomery County State;s Attorney’s Office, “Iris Alonzo-Salgado is one of four co-defendants that have been charged in connection to the death of 18-year-old Rosa Sanchez Merino in May of 2023. On September 30, 2023, co-defendant Roberto Rivera-Delgado led Montgomery County Police detectives to a wooded area along Brookeville Road in Olney to a shallow grave that contained the victim’s skeletal remains. Rivera-Delgado pleaded guilty to first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, and participating in a criminal organization resulting in death. He is pending sentencing. A third co-defendant, Aracely Abarca-Melgar, is pending trial. The fourth co-defendant’s identity and case details are shielded due to age.
An investigation determined the defendants drove the victim from New Jersey to Maryland. They walked her into the woods in Olney and gagged her mouth. She was forced to kneel on the ground and was stabbed to death with a machete. Her body was deposited in a freshly dug grave, and her remains were discovered four months later. The investigation determined the murder was committed at the direction of the MS-13 gang.
Assistant State’s Attorneys Teresa Casafranca and Gabriel Carrera are prosecuting this matter. We thank the Montgomery County Police Gang Unit and Major Crimes Division for their help in securing this conviction.”
