Durham woman's home broken into twice by Ryan Camacho, suspect in murder of Raleigh teacher

Durham woman's home broken into twice by Ryan Camacho, suspect in murder of Raleigh teacher

Tom George

Thu, January 8, 2026 at 12:25 PM UTC

3 min read

Ryan Camacho, who faces charges in Wake County for the murder of Ravenscroft teacher Zoe Welsh, has a lengthy criminal history.

Camacho had several cases in Durham, including a woman who said he broke into her home twice. She believes the Durham courts failed to take the situation seriously at the time and now worries that if Camacho had been behind bars earlier, Welsh might still be alive.

Michelle Potchak still feels the lingering effects of her shattered sense of peace within her home.

"You can still see the fingerprint dust on that window from when the cops actually dusted all those years ago," she said.

It's still difficult for her to talk about Ryan Camacho, the man she says haunted her for five years.

"I couldn't sit still anymore and not say something. The justice system failed Ms. Welsh," Potchak said.

She was out of town in 2021 when Camacho broke into her home through a window. Her brother, who stopped by to check on her home, came face-to-face with him.

Potchak said, "Ryan just walked in through the back door, took one look at (her brother) and darted out the other way."

Camacho, armed with a knife, ransacked her house and began piling valuables and electronics, seemingly preparing to pack suitcases, before taking her car -- an act interrupted by her brother's unexpected visit.

Despite a violent history in Raleigh, including an incident a few years prior involving Wes Phillips -- who lived next door to Camacho and moved after alleging his car was vandalized and his family terrorized -- Camacho was able to plead guilty to misdemeanor charges.

Zoe Welsh was attacked inside her house while still on the phone with 911.

Potchak said she even raised the issue with Durham's prosecutors.

"I said, 'You do understand this man has a significant record, including gun charges?'" she recalled. "And (they) said, 'What?'"

Despite this, Camacho ended up in jail for other cases.

Still, Potchak was so frightened that she monitored the victim information portal, fearing Camacho would return once released.

"I just always had a feeling that he would," she said.

Just days after his release in 2024, he was back at her home again -- another rock, the same window. However, this time she had security footage.

Camacho was involved in other alleged break-ins in the neighborhood, including their clubhouse. But he was again allowed to plead to misdemeanors instead of facing felony charges.

Even more chilling is what he said about Potchak's home.

"He thought it was his house. That's what he told his lawyer to tell the judge," Potchak said. "I'm addressing the court. I said, 'Look, many homeowners don't have to deal with this once in their lifespan of owning their home. I've now had to live it twice by the same man terrorizing me. I have no trust.'"

Now, hearing what happened to Zoe Welsh, Potchak wonders if more had been done, might Welsh still be alive?

"It just hurt, literally hurt my heart," Potchak said. "I couldn't believe that it had escalated to that point. And it almost made me feel that it maybe -- it would have been better for him to break into this home again instead of killing an innocent woman."

ABC11 reached out to the Durham District Attorney's Office for comment and are waiting to hear back.

Welsh was killed in her home during a reported break-in and an outpouring of support has started online.

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