- Mariana Yepez, co-owner of Ricos Tacos Naomi, and two employees face premeditated murder charges in the death of Soledad Lopez.
- Lopez's charred body was found in the trunk of her car at a South Los Angeles tow yard in September 2025.
- The alleged motive stems from a dispute over a $11,500 car accident settlement check.
- One suspect fled the U.S. under a deportation order, complicating the prosecution.
- Both Yepez and co-defendant Sandra Romo Diaz maintain their innocence through their attorneys.
The Rise and Fall of a Taco Empire
Mariana Yepez, a native of Sonora, Mexico, built Ricos Tacos Naomi from a single stand in Panorama City into a nearly dozen-location chain stretching from Long Beach to the Antelope Valley. Praised by food critics for its cabeza and al pastor, the brand became a symbol of immigrant entrepreneurship. But now, Yepez, 43, sits in jail—accused of orchestrating the murder of her employee, 47-year-old Soledad Lopez.
The Crime: A Charred Body and a Trail of Evidence
Lopez was last seen alive on September 7, 2025, leaving work with coworker Sandra Romo Diaz. Surveillance footage showed the pair heading to a warehouse tied to the business. Lopez never exited. Prosecutors allege Diaz left and returned with two gas canisters, then drove off in Lopez's car. Two days later, LAPD found Lopez's burned body in the trunk of her Honda Civic at a tow yard on West Gage Avenue. Diaz suffered burns to her arm and stomach during the attempted incineration.
Charges and Legal Complications
Yepez and Diaz are charged with conspiracy to commit murder and premeditated murder. A third suspect, Oscar Oswaldo Funes Villafranca, fled the country under a deportation order shortly after the killing. His absence has stalled parts of the case. ICE detained Yepez as LAPD closed in, adding an extra layer of complexity. The state alleges that the killing involved high levels of "planning, sophistication, and professionalism." An amended felony complaint filed on April 7, 2026, places the date of the crime on or about September 7, 2025. Yepez and Diaz are being held on $2 million bail each.
Local California Context
The case unfolds across Los Angeles County, where Ricos Tacos Naomi operates stands in Panorama City, Long Beach, and the Antelope Valley. The tow yard where Lopez's body was found is in South Los Angeles, a community already grappling with violent crime. The dispute over a $11,500 settlement check from a January 2025 car crash highlights the financial pressures facing low-wage food industry workers.
Background: From Kogi BBQ to Murder Allegations
Yepez and her husband started in Roy Choi's Kogi BBQ trucks before launching their own brand in 2018. The business grew rapidly, but tensions simmered. Lopez's daughter told police that Yepez mistreated her mother and that a relative claimed Lopez stole money from the business. The alleged motive centers on a settlement check Lopez gave Yepez to cash—money that never reached her. According to Neama Rahmani, a former federal prosecutor turned civil attorney who represented the three women in their claim against the motorist who hit them, all three suffered "soft tissue injuries," but Yepez refused to see a doctor so Rahmani said he had to drop her case. Lopez received a settlement check for approximately $11,500, while Diaz got about $10,000. A month before she went missing, Lopez's daughter said her mother gave Yepez her insurance check and asked her to cash it, according to the police report reviewed by The Times. Rahmani said the funds earmarked for Lopez were deposited into a Chase bank account on Aug. 28. The check was endorsed by Yepez.
Conclusion
The case against Yepez and her employees raises questions about justice, immigration enforcement, and the dark side of the American dream. As attorneys for the accused maintain their clients' innocence, Lopez's family awaits answers. The trial is expected to shed light on the alleged plot and the role of ICE in the proceedings. Yepez has pleaded not guilty, and her attorney, Justin Rodriguez, said "she's done nothing wrong." "She's being put out as the fall guy," Rodriguez said. "I'm confident she's going to be exonerated when all this is said and done." Diaz's attorney, Matthew Barhoma, also maintained that his client is innocent — and blamed ICE for letting the people he accused of being the real killers get away with it. "We are left to defend Sandra against a murder charge while the people we believe actually committed this crime are beyond reach," he said in an email to The Times. "That is an injustice — not only to Sandra, but to the memory of Soledad Lopez, whose family deserves answers, not a convenient arrest."
Romo Diaz is scheduled for an upcoming evidentiary hearing to determine if the prosecution has sufficient evidence to move forward to a full criminal trial. Meanwhile, Los Angeles prosecutors and law enforcement are actively working with international authorities to extradite Funes Villafranca back to the United States to face trial.
Lopez's cause of death has not been released by authorities. The specific evidence that originally connected Romo Diaz, Yepez, and Funes Villafranca to the vehicle and the burning of the body is unknown.
Timeline of Key Events
September 7, 2025: The estimated date of Lopez's murder, according to the felony complaint. September 9, 2025: LAPD Missing Persons Unit detectives locate Lopez's body inside a burned Honda Civic at a South Los Angeles tow yard. Late September 2025: Co-defendant Funes Villafranca leaves the country under a standing deportation order. April 7, 2026: The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office files an amended complaint officially identifying Lopez and leveling premeditated murder charges against all three suspects.