A devastated Nevada mother’s worst fears became reality when a phone tracking app pointed her straight to the county morgue – and the chilling discovery led her to believe justice may never be served for her daughter’s tragic death.
Amber Brown, a 33-year-old nurse, lost her life after a fatal car crash rocked Las Vegas in June 2025. The man accused of causing the wreck, Angel Franco Merida, 37, was hauled away by police from the scene – but her mother, Cheri Brown, is still fighting for closure.
The night horror struck, Cheri launched a frantic search for her daughter after hours of silence. Unable to reach Amber, she desperately tried tracking her phone and was blindsided when the device’s location pinged at the Clark County Coroner’s Office, as revealed by 8 News Now.
“I just collapsed,” Cheri recounted to the outlet, sharing how her desperate calls to local hospitals had only ended in heartbreak.
According to Las Vegas Metro Police, Amber had been struck while crossing the street around 5 p.m. on June 19th. Paramedics rushed her to the hospital, but she didn’t make it. The only other passenger involved, a 14-year-old boy, escaped without a scratch.
Though police stopped short of naming the victim in their initial statement, local news quickly identified Amber as the deceased, citing coroner’s records. Her mother’s heartfelt posts on Facebook further confirmed her identity to the community.
For Cheri, the pain of losing her daughter is made worse by the fact that Merida, the man authorities say was behind the wheel, may never face an American court. If the twists in this case weren’t shocking enough, records reviewed by 8 News Now suggest Merida was granted bail by a Las Vegas judge and quickly put up the $50,000 to get out.
Before prosecutors had a chance to seek justice, Immigration and Customs Enforcement reportedly stepped in. Merida was taken into ICE custody and, according to court documents, put on a flight back to Guatemala, evading the justice system Cheri so desperately hoped would hold him accountable.
“It’s outrageous,” Cheri told 8 News Now. “He killed my daughter. How does it make sense that he can just walk away because he’s not from here? He should be brought back to pay for what he did.”
As Amber’s family fights through their grief, the hope for justice feels further out of reach – but Cheri Brown isn’t giving up the battle for her daughter.
