Relatives protest, demand harsher sentence in Lesly Palacio case

Dozens protested Friday outside Las Vegas Justice Court, shedding tears and demanding a harsher sentence for the man who pleaded guilty last week to helping hide the body of a local woman found dead in the desert last year.

Jose Rangel, 46, faces up to two years behind bars at an August sentencing hearing after he pleaded guilty June 18 to charges of destroying evidence and accessory to commit murder. Rangel has admitted to helping his son, Erick Rangel-Ibarra, 25, drag Lesly Palacio’s body out of their Las Vegas home and flee to Mexico, according to court records.

Rangel surrendered to U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents in San Diego on Jan. 19. His son, who faces a murder charge, remains on the lam.

The protest Friday followed a Monday news conference near the Palacio family home, where relatives first publicly demanded that Rangel receive a harsher sentence, with Kaly Palacio, sister of Lesly Palacio, pleading for a life sentence without parole.

Along with relatives, the protest Friday drew a handful of people who have been following the case, including Ana Gonzalez, 19, and Brian Batres, 19, who brought handmade signs with photos of Rangel and his son.

“Two years is not enough,” Gonzalez said.

In a statement, Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson said his office charged Rangel “with all that we were able to charge him with under Nevada law.”

“We were prepared to go to trial on this case, but Mr. Rangel chose to accept responsibility for his role in this tragedy by pleading guilty to both charges against him,” his statement continued. “This was not the result of a negotiation or plea deal.”

At the protest, Lesly Palacio’s mother, Aracely Palacio, spoke through tears.

“She’s not going to return, but I want justice for Lesly,” she said in Spanish.

Palacio’s body was found in Moapa Valley near Valley of Fire State Park in September, according to court records. She was last seen by family when she went to get drinks with Rangel-Ibarra on the day she was killed.

Prosecutors have said surveillance video showed Rangel and his son placing Palacio’s body into a pickup truck on Aug. 29, before Rangel-Ibarra drove off.

Anyone with information regarding Rangel-Ibarra’s whereabouts may contact Las Vegas police at 702-828-3521 or, to remain anonymous, Crime Stoppers at 702-385-5555.

Contact Sabrina Schnur at sschnur@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0278. Follow @sabrina_schnur on Twitter.