America Dayana Pacheco was 12 when she died on June 15, 2019, at her home in Taylorsville, North Carolina. Her body and that of her 11-year-old brother, Angel Esteban Pacheco, were found in a burned mobile home after firefighters put out the blaze. Their mother, Maria De Los Angeles Calderon, 38, and two men, Jose Carlos Mendez and Luis Fernando Sanchez, were later found in a burned pickup truck in a remote area of southwest Virginia; the truck’s VIN matched a missing vehicle belonging to Juan Carlos Mendez-Pena and the remains were badly burned, complicating identification.

Authorities charged 30-year-old Areli Aguirre-Avilez and 16-year-old Heidi Darlene Wolfe in connection with the deaths. Aguirre-Avilez faced multiple counts including five counts of felony first degree murder, felony first degree arson, felony domestic violence protective order violation with a deadly weapon, and felony statutory rape of a child age 15 or under; Wolfe was charged with five counts of felony first degree murder and one count of felony first degree arson. In November 2024 bond was set for the defendants: Aguirre-Avilez at $2 million secured and Wolfe at $1 million secured, with the court order detailing conditions not yet filed at the time of the report.

This remains a tragic and unresolved case for the community. If anyone knew America, her family, or has information relevant to the investigation, please come forward.