A beloved North Carolina teacher was killed this weekend while pleading for help from an emergency responder during a home invasion.
Zoe Welsh, 57, was found seriously injured by police officers minutes after she called 911 from her home in Raleigh, North Carolina, around 6:30 a.m. Saturday.
Police said Welsh called 911 to report a man was in her home on the 800 block of Clay Street. While she was on the phone, the intruder began hitting her.
On a recording at 6:34 a.m., a dispatcher can be heard saying: “The complainant was shouting, but I am silent now.”
A few minutes later, officers arrived at the home because a burglary had been reported. One of them reported that a window had been smashed at the front of the house and then said, “I have a female. She has a severe hemorrhage on the left side of her head.”
Welsh, who was seriously injured, was taken to hospital where she died.
Officers searched the area and found Ryan Camacho, 36, who was taken into custody. He is charged with murder and burglary. Police said Camacho and Welsh do not appear to have known each other.
Public records show Camacho has a criminal history dating back to 2005, including a 2019 conviction for discharging a firearm into an occupied residence in Wake County, police said. Raleigh News & Observer.
He was also convicted in November 2024 of seven felonies in Durham County, including one for burglary. N.C. Department of Adult Corrections records show he spent more than five years in prison and was recently jailed earlier this year for violating post-release conditions.
Welsh was a longtime science teacher at Ravenscroft School in North Raleigh and a former educator in the Wake County Public Schools system. A mother of two, she has taught at Ravenscroft since 2006 and was previously chair of the Upper School’s science department.
“The community of Ravenscroft is devastated by the loss of our beloved colleague and friend Zoe Welsh,” a school spokesperson said. ABC11. “Zoe has been a cornerstone of our Upper School Science Department and the Ravenscroft community for many years. Her loss is deeply felt by all of us who had the privilege of working with her and learning in her classroom.”
Raleigh Police Chief Rico Boyce called the killing a loss for the entire community.
“I am heartbroken for this mother, friend and mentor to many in our community, and for the unimaginable trauma her family is enduring,” Boyce said in a statement. “Every time there is a loss of life in our community, it impacts all of us.”
He added that the arrest “sends a strong message that criminal acts will not be tolerated in the city of Raleigh” and praised officers for their quick response.
Ravenscroft School said grief counseling and support resources will be available to students, faculty and staff when classes resume Monday.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with her family and friends,” the school said.
Camacho’s first court appearance is scheduled for Monday. The case is still under investigation.
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