The final moments of a beloved North Carolina teacher were captured on a frantic 911 call as a repeat offender allegedly broke into her home and killed her - a case that has become a flashpoint in the debate over violent crime, mental health and public safety.
According to WRAL, Zoe Welsh called 911 early on the morning of Jan. 3 to report that a man had broken into her Raleigh home.
"A man just broke in through the window," Welsh told a dispatcher, identifying the intruder as "a homeless man" she said she had previously seen at Fred Fletcher Park, the outlet reported.
Welsh told the dispatcher the man was still inside her home. "He is in the house right now," she said, according to WRAL. She later reported that the intruder broke a window with a brick, went into her kitchen and took something from the refrigerator before attacking her.
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"He hit me with a brick," Welsh told the dispatcher. "He hit me with a brick. I am on the floor in my bedroom," WRAL reported.
Raleigh police said officers were dispatched to the home at 6:33 a.m. after receiving the burglary call. While Welsh was still on the phone with a dispatcher, police said, the suspect began to assault her.
Officers arrived to find Welsh suffering from life-threatening injuries and immediately rendered aid until she was transported to a local hospital, where she later died despite lifesaving efforts.
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Police said additional officers canvassed the surrounding area and located the suspect, Ryan Camacho, who was taken into custody without incident. Detectives later charged Camacho, 36, with the murder of Welsh and felony breaking and entering, according to the Raleigh Police Department.
Raleigh Police Chief Rico Boyce said the killing has deeply shaken the community.
"I am deeply heartbroken for this mother, friend, and mentor to many in our community, and for the unimaginable trauma her family must endure," Boyce said. He praised responding officers for their "swift and diligent actions" that led to the suspect's arrest, adding that "whenever there is a loss of life in our community, it affects us all."
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Court records show Camacho is charged with murder and felony breaking and entering. Prosecutors allege he broke into Welsh's home and killed her, acting with what the law calls "malice aforethought." He was arrested the same day and is being held without bond, according to Wake County court filings.
Camacho has not entered a plea to the murder charge and is scheduled to appear in court on Jan. 26, records show.
Records also show Camacho is a repeat offender who has cycled through the criminal justice system for years, with prior arrests and court appearances across multiple North Carolina counties. Court filings list him as indigent and homeless at the time of his arrest.
According to WRAL, Camacho's criminal history spans more than a decade. The outlet reported that he was arrested six times within the past four years, based on public records, with many of those cases ultimately being dropped.
In 2016, Camacho pleaded guilty to a property damage charge after throwing a rock and breaking a man's car window, telling police the man had tried to enter his vehicle, WRAL reported. He was later charged with stalking, though that charge was dismissed. Camacho spent approximately two and a half months in jail and was ordered to undergo post-release mental health treatment, according to the outlet.
WRAL also reported that Camacho was arrested four times in 2017 and charged with seven non-violent misdemeanor offenses. In 2019, he was charged in a separate case after allegedly firing four bullets into a Raleigh woman's home, resulting in eight felony charges. Six of those charges were dropped through a plea deal, and Camacho was sentenced to a minimum of two years in prison, followed by nine months of post-release supervision and an additional five years of probation.
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Camacho later violated the terms of his post-release supervision and was sent back to prison, ultimately serving a total of five and a half years, WRAL reported. The North Carolina Department of Adult Corrections declined to provide details about Camacho's mandated post-release care or the specific violations involved, citing privacy laws.
Friends and colleagues said Welsh will be remembered not only for her career as an educator, but for the joy she brought to those around her.
"She brought joy and humor to every room she was in," said Angie, a close friend and former colleague. "The best way we can honor Zoe is to live out her values. Zoe had learned a very important lesson in life that she shared with me many times… pick joy."
As friends and family mourn Welsh's loss, her death has also ignited renewed debate among state leaders over public safety and the handling of repeat offenders accused of violent crimes.
Gov. Josh Stein called Welsh "a special teacher and person" and said her family and students have suffered a "traumatic loss from another senseless act of violence."
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Stein said North Carolina must invest in mental and behavioral health services as part of preventing crimes before they happen, adding that people "need to be safe in their homes and their communities."
Republican Rep. Mark Harris criticized that approach, arguing that mental health concerns have been used to justify repeated releases of dangerous offenders. Harris said Camacho had a lengthy criminal history and accused Democratic leadership of being soft on crime.
"Mental health matters-but at what point will Democrats stop using it as a get-out-of-jail-free card for dangerous criminals?" Harris wrote.
