Mary Melero, 38, of New Mexico, died due to extreme abuse and neglect at the hands of her caretakers. Melero, a woman with autism, was discovered by Border Protection agents, laying on the floorboard in the back of a van, covered with a blanket and dirty bandages covering open wounds; she was unresponsive but crying. The van was being driven by Luz Scott; Melero's caretaker, Angelita Chacon; and Chacón's partner, Patricia Hurtado. They were attempting to take Mary across the Mexican border. Scott, Chacon, and Hurtado have been charged with abuse or neglect, false imprisonment, conspiracy to commit false imprisonment, and failure to report. Attorney General, Raúl Torrez called the harm inflicted upon Mary “nothing short of torture” Melero was taken to a hospital in El Paso, Texas where she later died due to septic shock from the infected injuries she sustained from her caretakers and cardiac arrest.

The family of Mary Melero invites the community to join them on July 22, 2023, at 6:00 p.m., to honor Mary and rally against the mistreatment of unprotected people like Mary who have been abused and mistreated by an unjust system of caretakers and medical professionals under the DD Waiver Program. The family and community seek a change for future generations so that developmentally disabled persons do not have to go through Mary's pain. The family will have snacks and drinks available for the memorial. 

La familia de Mary Melero invita a la comunidad a unirse a ellos el 22 de julio de 2023 a las 6:00 p.m. para honrar a Mary y manifestarse contra el maltrato de personas desprotegidas como Mary que han sido abusadas y maltratadas por un sistema injusto de cuidadores y profesionales médicos bajo el Programa de Exención DD. La familia y la comunidad buscan un cambio para las generaciones futuras para que las personas con discapacidades del desarrollo no tengan que pasar por el dolor de Mary. La familia tendrá bocadillos y bebidas disponibles para el memorial.

Invitation for Public Memorial Honoring Mary Melero