Roberto Rivera-Delgado Admits To Murder Of Teen In Maryland

A man with no known address admitted to his role in the murder of an 18-year-old girl who was found buried in a shallow grave in Montgomery County, the state's attorney's office announced on Friday.

Roberto Rivera-Delgado, 23, pleaded guilty to murder and other offenses in connection to the murder of Rosa Sanchez Merino in May 2023 with three others.

Iris Yudella Alonzo-Salgado, 23, Aracely Abarca-Melgar, 21, and Edwin Alexander Rivas-Salvador, 16 have also been implicated in the incident.

According to police, Rivera-Delgado was arrested for a parole violation in Nevada and brought back to Maryland late last year. He directed detectives to Sanchez Merino's final resting place, where they found her skeletal remains in an area park.

During the investigation, Alonzo-Salgado, a Frederick resident, and Abarca-Melgar, of Manchester, New Hampshire were also identified as suspects, and are awaiting trial.

It was also determined that Rivera-Delgado was a member of MS-13.

"Rivera-Delgado believed he was in good standing with the gang, because he participated in an unauthorized murder of Sanchez Merino," court documents state. "Delgado identified two MS-13 members as participants in the murder and one unidentified male participant."

Prosecutors say that Rivera-Delgado drove the group to the park, where they committed the murder after leading Sanchez Merino into the woods and placing their victim on her knees.

They then took turns using a machete to kill her, dug a shallow grave, where they buried her.

Rivera-Delgado pleaded guilty on Thursday to first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, and participating in a criminal organization resulting in death.

He is scheduled to be sentenced in June 2025.

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