JASMINE GUEVERA - 16 yo - (2009) Mitchell/Hanson County SD

Two people have been arrested in the death of a missing Mitchell girl, the Hanson County sheriff said Thursday.Jasmine Guevara, 16, last was seen in a 1999 green Chevy Malibu on Tuesday.Alexander
Salgado, 20, and a 15-year-old girl were arrested and charged with
first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and aiding and
abetting, Hanson County Sheriff Mark Kessler said. The juvenile will be
charged as an adult, Kessler said.Law
enforcement has been investigating whether Guevara's disappearance was
related to a body found in a burned car in Hanson County at 257th
Street and James River Road. Guevara last was seen hours before the
fire began.Kessler said Thursday they still are working to identify the body and the car."We
have not positively identified the body from the car, but information
led us to believe that they are one and the same," Kessler said
Thursday night.An autopsy on the body thought to be
Guevara will be conducted today, though it might take several weeks for
officials to make a positive identification, Kessler said.Salgado
and the female, who moved to Mitchell about a month ago from Fort
Wayne, Ind., were acquaintances of Guevara, Kessler said."We do have witnesses that saw them together shortly before this incident," Mitchell Police Chief Lyndon Overweg said.Officials
know the motive for the killing but are not releasing that information
yet. A murder weapon has been recovered, which officials will not
identify but do say it's not a firearm.Joe
Graves, superintendent of schools in Mitchell, has known Guevara since
she began in the system in second grade. He knew her as a bright, happy
student who participated in marching band and cross country last year."We're
obviously very saddened to hear the news," Graves said. "We were hoping
the search would turn out with better news. We're pleased to see that
the matter is being resolved."The school is offering counseling to students most affected by the case, he said.Guevara,
a Mitchell High School sophomore, recently had started a part-time job
at Twin Dragon restaurant in Mitchell, owner Danny Prom said. He said
it's good news they made an arrest in the case."We've been sad all day since we heard she was missing," Prom said.

Two former Indiana residents have been
charged in the death of a South Dakota teenager who disappeared
earlier this week.


Hanson County Sheriff Mark Kessler says authorities believe that
a body found in the trunk of a burned car in a rural area southeast
of Mitchell is that of 16-year-old Jasmine Guevara, though it might
take several weeks for officials to make a positive identification.
An autopsy was planned Friday.


Twenty-year-old Alexander Salgado and a 15-year-old girl have
been charged with first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder,
and aiding and abetting.


Kessler says Salgado and the girl moved to Mitchell about a
month ago from Fort Wayne, Ind., and were acquaintances of Guevara,
who lived in Mitchell.


The sheriff says officials recovered a weapon and have
determined a motive but he declined to elaborate.

Jasmine Guevara was stabbed to death by Alexander Salgado and his
teenage girlfriend because she was jealous of Salgado and Guevara’s
friendship, according to an affidavit released today by the Department
of Criminal Investigation.Salgado was arraigned for
first-degree murder before Hanson County Judge Sean O’Brien Friday
evening at the Davison County Public Safety Center.The
juvenile appeared in court via teleconference on Friday. Deputy
Attorney General Douglas Barnett said prosecutors have not yet decided
what she will be charged with or whether to try her as an adult.Salgado
and the 15-year-old girl, residents of Fort Wayne, Ind. who were
staying with friends who lived a block from Guevara’s home, are in
custody in Davison County. No bond has been set.The
15-year-old became suspicious that Salgado and Guevara were becoming
romantically involved after a party on Sunday in Mitchell, according to
the affidavit. On Monday, the couple made plans to kill Guevara, it
says, and on Tuesday, they asked her for a ride to Walmart to pick up
supplies for a barbeque, according to the affidavit.After
buying a bottle of lighter fluid, the three drove to rural Hansen
County in Guevara’s car, where Salgado and his girlfriend stabbed her,
cut her throat, put her in the trunk of the car and set it on fire,
according to the affidavit.An informant told police the
three had been to Walmart the night of the murder through a text
message. Officers were able to locate the suspected perpetrators
through clues from the surveillance footage and interviews with friends
and families.The two confessed to the murder on Thursday, the affidavit says.

20 year old Alexander Salgado was formally indicted late Tuesday
afternoon for the murder of Jasmine Guevara. Mitchell Police tell
"Action News", Salgado is from Fort Wayne, Indiana and has a criminal
record there involving violent crime.


Salgado is charged with Jasmine Guevara's death, so too is a 15-year-old female, identified in court papers as "M-D".
We know she has made an appearance in juvenile court in connection with this case.
Prosecutors
say it was jealousy on the part of that 15 year old and her fear of a
possible relationship between Salgado and Guevara which led to the plan
to kill Guevara.
She was murdered the night of
November 10th near 25652 James River Road....in a rural area south of
Mitchell but in northern Hanson County.
Investigators
say Guevara was stabbed before her body was stuffed into a car in a
rural field then the car was set on fire. Guevara's body was badly
burned. The state crime lab in Pierre had to use dental records to
identify Guevara.
Late Tuesday night, we were able to
speak with Amanda Walz Nava, one of Jasmine Guevara's friends, who
tells us the word of this indictment offers some hope that there may be
justice for her friend. "She was a good kid, she was really funny and
really smart and I just ...the way she died was horrible and I really,
really hope that she didn't suffer at all."
Salgado now officially faces charges of murder, felony murder and arson for Jasmine Guevara's death.

Salgado Gets Life; 15-year-old Suspect Could Get Same For Mitchell Death

The man charged with the murder of a Mitchell teen changes his plea to guilty, which spares him the death penalty.

But Alexander Salgado will still spend the rest of his life in prison for killing 16-year-old Jasmin Guevara.

Guevara's family was in the Mitchell courtroom, nearly one year since the death of their daughter, and the pain is still unbearable.

Jasmine Guevara's family wiped away tears as they listened to the details of their daughter's death and heard Alexander Salgado admit to the 16 year old's murder.

"I think it's important to be able to add some closure for the victim's family," said South Dakota Attorney General, Marty Jackley.

While the life in prison sentence for Salgado, may bring a glimmer of justice for Guevara's family, they say the pain is still very much a part of their everyday lives.

Jasmine's older sister addressed the court and Salgado, reflecting on the unbearable reality of living without her sister, saying quote,"I still walk by my sister's room, hoping to see her, but it's all in vain, because she's never coming home."

"This case boils down to a very horrific homicide of a young 16-year-old little girl, a very brutal homicide, it's very sad incident in South Dakota, that the family is coping," said Jackley.

According to prosecutors Salgado worked with a 15-year-old juvenile known as "M.D." to kill Guevara. The prosecution also says, "M.D." was jealous, and accused Salgado of having sexual contact with Guevara.

Court documents show Salgado helped "M.D" stab Guevara in the legs and stomach with 2 knives, before slitting her throat, and then setting her car on fire in a deserted field.

"Certainly it's important to reach a plea agreement that's been accepted by the court, that carries a mandatory life sentence without parole," said Jackley.

But for Guevara's family, not having Jasmine around, is a life sentence as well. Guevara's sister told the judge, quote: "Our family will never get to see Jasmine grow up or have children. She was robbed from so many things. She will never have another birthday or Christmas. And for my family, all special occasions have lost their special meaning without Jasmine."

Salgado had just a few minutes to speak with his family before hew as led back to prison, but Guevara's family told the judge, that's more than they will ever have with Jasmine, and now all they have are memories.

If Salgado refuses to testify against "M.D." the state of South Dakota can refile for first degree murder charges and seek the death penalty.

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