Damon Porter - Carmen Mesta

Carmen Mesta first appeared on May 8, 2006, portrayed by former General Hospital actress Marisa Ramirez. The Young and the Restless has issued a casting call and by April 11, 2006, it was announced that Ramirez had secured the role as "Carmen, a businesswoman whose storyline would be tied to Jack Abbott." She filmed her first scenes on April 4. By September 2006, it was announced that Carmen was to depart only four months after a debut. The show cited a lack between her and her love affair, Kristoff St. John (as Neil Winters). The character was found murdered on October 27, 2006 and a "Who Killed Carmen Mesta" storyline followed. Carmen's killer was Jana Hawkes (Emily O'Brien), who was initially never considered a suspect.

History
Carmen is a freelance public relations consultant that Katherine Chancellor hires for Jabot Cosmetics in 2006 because of Jack Abbott's handling of a scandal that results from Jabot's test release of tainted face cream. Jack resents her involvement but soon becomes attracted to her and eventually he and Carmen have a one-night stand. Afterward, Carmen is hired by Victor Newman to work for Newman Enterprises' new cosmetics division, Beauty Of Nature.

While at Newman Enterprises, Carmen begins an emotional affair with Neil Winters, who is estranged from his wife Drucilla. The physical extent of Carmen's relationship with Neil is a kiss. Believing that the two are having an affair, Drucilla ransacks Carmen's room and cuts her clothing with scissors. Carmen has Drucilla arrested for aggravated burglary and gets a restraining order. Dru violates the restraining order on more than one occasion, even attacking Carmen in Newman Enterprises' break room. Unbeknownst to Dru, the attack is captured on a hidden video camera accidentally left on by Noah Newman. The footage is discovered by Dru's enemy Phyllis Newman, who alerts Carmen, who in turn takes the tape to the police, which lands Dru in more trouble.

During these events Neil helps Dru deal with her feelings towards Carmen and tries to act as peacemaker. Carmen can not understand how he can condemn Dru's actions. She informs him she is going to ask the District Attorney William Bardwell to prosecute Dru. Neil believes that Carmen is overzealous in wanting revenge on Drucilla. Dru hires Michael Baldwin as her attorney, and Michael asks Paul Williams to investigate Carmen's background. Paul discovers that at Carmen's previous job, prior to her arrival in Genoa City, she had an affair with a married executive, and that she left the job after being paid a large settlement. Michael confronts Carmen with this information in an attempt to get her to drop her lawsuit against Dru, but she refuses. Carmen is found dead behind Neil's jazz club, Indigo, on the club's opening night. William believes that she was murdered and, out of numerous possible suspects, arrests Devon for her murder. Michael becomes Devon's defense attorney and looks for other plausible suspects, particularly Brad Carlton and Jack, so that he can establish reasonable doubt as part of Devon's defense. Carmen's murderer turns out to be Jana Hawkes. Jana killed her because Carmen saw Jana looking through a folder containing pictures and facts about the Grugeon Reliquary, a fictional piece of medieval art with foreign letters engraved on it, revealed to be the keys to a massive fortune, which Jana stole from Victoria Newman's car.