Two teens charged with killing 14-year-old boy in Deming

Bill Armendariz, Deming Headlight
·2 min read

DEMING – A report of a missing Deming teen escalated into a homicide investigation.

Deming Police began investigating missing 14-year-old Ashton Remondini on Tuesday, April 26. Two days later, the boy's body was discovered in the desert north of Deming. He had been shot and stabbed.

Michael D. Moody, 16, and Rafael A. Camacho, 18, have been charged with Remondini's murder.

Missing person

Family members reported Remondini missing when his mother went to his bedroom to wake him up for school and he was not in the room.

Deming Police investigators conducted interviews with family and friends and learned Remondini had gone shooting, possibly with Moody. friend told Deming police of hearing that Remondini was shot north of town. A Snapchat video posted by Remondini shooting a rifle confirmed his whereabouts, as the lights of Deming could be seen in the background.

That led Deming police to the vicinity of Keeler Road NW where Remondini’s body was discovered on Thursday, April 29, several hundred feet off a dirt road in the desert.

Deming Police handed the investigation lead over to the Luna County Sheriff’s Office based on jurisdiction of the crime scene. Deming Police and LCSO involved the New Mexico State Police Crime Scene Unit in processing the crime scene into early Friday morning.

Charged with murder

Moody, 16, who had been reported as a runaway from Thatcher, Arizona, turned himself into Deming Police on Friday morning. Moody was interviewed by DPD and LCSO investigators and would confess to killing Remondini, an LCSO news release stated.

Rafael A. Camacho, 18, of Deming, was located by authorities Friday and eventually told investigators he stabbed Remondini, the news release stated.

Moody is charged with murder in the first degree, conspiracy to commit murder in the first degree, robbery, tampering with evidence, conspiracy to commit tampering with evidence, larceny and conspiracy to commit larceny.

Camacho is charged with murder in the first degree, conspiracy to commit murder in the first degree, tampering with evidence, conspiracy to commit tampering with evidence, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, larceny, and conspiracy to commit larceny.

Luna County Sheriff Kelly Gannaway said, “Our hearts go out to those who loved and cared for Ashton. This is a very tragic case."

Gannaway also commended detectives from the Deming Police Department. “They put a lot of effort into this investigation, including helping my investigators, who also worked hard to bring the two responsible for this death to justice. I’m proud of them all.”

Bill Armendariz can be reached at 575-546-2611 (leave a message) or biarmendariz@demingheadlight.com.

This article originally appeared on Deming Headlight: Two teens charged with killing 14-year-old boy in Deming