N.C. Teacher Called 911 to Report Intruder in Home — Then Was Attacked While Still on Phone

A longtime North Carolina schoolteacher was fatally assaulted in her home after reporting a break-in to emergency dispatchers, authorities said.

The Raleigh Police Department said Zoe Welsh, 57, called 911 around 6:30 a.m. on Jan. 3 to report that an intruder was inside her home in the 800 block of Clay Street.

While she remained on the line with dispatchers, the suspect began attacking her, according to a police press release.

Responding officers found Welsh, a teacher at Ravenscroft School in North Raleigh, suffering from life-threatening injuries. An officer later reported that she had sustained a severe hemorrhage to the left side of her head, according to a call simulcast database cited by the News & Observer.

Welsh was transported to a local hospital, where she later died.

Police soon identified the suspect as Ryan Camacho, 36. He was taken into custody and charged with murder and felony burglary.

According to WBTV, Camacho had previously been charged with breaking and entering on at least three occasions in 2025. ABC11 reported that he was also found guilty of escaping from prison in Salisbury in 2021.

Former students and colleagues remembered Welsh as a deeply committed educator. “She really cared for her students,” said Calysa Sauls, a former student, according to WRAL. “She was one of those teachers who was truly passionate about the subject she taught.” Sauls added that learning of her death was “heartbreaking.”

In a statement shared with the News & Observer, Ravenscroft said the school community was “devastated by the loss of our beloved colleague and friend Zoe Welsh.” The statement noted that Welsh had been a cornerstone of the Upper School Science Department since 2006 and had previously served as department chair.

Raleigh Police Chief Rico Boyce also issued a statement expressing sorrow over the killing, calling Welsh a “mother, friend, and mentor to many” and thanking officers for their swift response, which led to the suspect’s quick arrest.

Camacho was denied bond and remains in custody at a Wake County jail.