The two young women who were shot to death in Ensenada had reportedly been confined for around ten days in a room at an apartment complex located on Ryerson Avenue, one of the city’s most central streets. The two friends had been in the bar district a couple of days before the off-road Baja 500 race, a period when the city receives a higher concentration of national and international visitors, as well as increased police presence due to special security operations.
On Monday morning, just as most visitors were returning to their places of origin, authorities confirmed that the bodies of the two women had been found on June 7 in a ravine along the free Ensenada–Tijuana highway near La Misión.
One of the victims was identified as Carla Gallegos Espinoza, 23, originally from Salina Cruz, Oaxaca. The other was Sara Alejandra Cruz Sánchez, 25, from Ensenada.
The young women worked as escorts in bars. According to the investigation, they were not operating independently but were managed by a man who controlled their activities.
Although the case is being investigated as intentional homicide, the State Attorney General’s Office (FGE) stated that, because the victims were women, a femicide investigation protocol was initiated, as required by law.
According to the FGE’s investigation, several individuals had been holding the women against their will while claiming they were providing them with protection because of a drug-selling conflict in the tourist district.
One line of investigation focuses on the romantic relationship between one of the victims and a man allegedly linked to narcotics activity at a hotel located on Macheros Street, between First and Second Streets. Investigators are also examining the possibility that both women had connections to a local drug distribution group.
Among the case background, authorities noted that one of the victims had previously been registered with the FGE’s Missing Persons Unit after giving testimony in an investigation involving someone close to her.
This double homicide adds to the violence recorded in Ensenada. During the first months of 2026, the city registered 68 intentional homicides, five of which involved female victims.
Another five women who were present during some of those violent incidents suffered gunshot wounds and were transported to hospitals.
Authorities are also investigating the discovery of at least 11 human remains or decomposed bodies, some of which may correspond to female victims.
Following the Trail of the Suspected Killers
Surveillance camera footage has assisted investigators, who suspect that a taxi driver may have been involved in transporting the two bodies from downtown Ensenada to the roadside location where they were found.
Both women worked at La Potranca bar. They were mothers and maintained close relationships with family members and friends. Days after their deaths, messages of condolence began circulating on social media.
State Attorney General Ma. Elena Andrade Ramírez explained that the initial emergency report suggested the incident might have been a traffic accident.
The first emergency call reported what appeared to be a motorcycle accident because the bodies were found near a suitcase and scattered clothing.
However, forensic examinations and autopsies determined that both women had died from gunshot wounds.
No spent shell casings were found at the scene, leading investigators to believe the women were killed elsewhere nearby and that their bodies were later abandoned at the location.
In addition to the fatal gunshot wounds, one of the victims showed signs of having suffered previous violence.
The attorney general noted that investigators found it unusual that no one had reported the disappearance of two women matching their descriptions or claimed their bodies at the time they were discovered.
“They may have been people from outside the area because no one claimed them and there were no missing persons reports matching their descriptions,” she explained, hours before the families came forward to identify and recover the bodies.
According to the autopsies, both women had died between 24 and 48 hours before they were found.
The condition of the bodies allowed forensic specialists to determine that the deaths were recent. Based on the evidence collected, investigators believe the women were killed at a nearby location before their bodies were abandoned.
More Women Continue to Disappear in Baja California; Advocacy Groups Urge Immediate Reporting
Because of the circumstances surrounding the case—including unlawful confinement and evidence of physical abuse—organizations that defend women in vulnerable situations are calling for the case to be investigated as femicide.
Regarding the possibility that the victims could have been rescued, the State Attorney General’s Office stated that it never received a missing persons report or any request to locate Sara or Carla. Women’s advocacy groups reiterated the importance of authorities responding immediately whenever a disappearance is reported.
According to data from the National Registry of Missing and Unlocated Persons (RNPDNO), between January and June 2026, four reports were filed in Ensenada involving women who left their homes and never returned. Two of those investigations involve minors.
Across Baja California, there are 5,088 missing or unlocated persons. Of those cases, 59 percent involve people between the ages of 15 and 34, the age group with the highest incidence.
Specifically regarding women, between 2016 and May 2026, 810 boys and girls under the age of 18 remained missing. Among them are 21 girls who are still reported as missing.
Nationwide, during the same period, the National Registry recorded 134,257 missing and unlocated persons. Of those cases, 78 percent involve men and 22 percent involve women.
After presenting the statistics, officials emphasized that these figures represent only an estimate, as it is difficult to determine how many disappearances are never reported or, in some cases, when missing individuals return without their recovery ever being officially documented.
Source: zetatijuana
