In the early hours of a Wednesday morning in rural Central Point, Oregon, the tranquility of the 6000 block of Kershaw Road was shattered by the sound of gunshots. On July 15, 2026, at approximately 4:05 a.m., dispatchers at the Emergency Communications of Southern Oregon received a call reporting the gunfire. Jackson County Sheriff's Office deputies were immediately dispatched to the scene. Upon entering the residence, they made a grim discovery. Inside the home lay the body of 62-year-old Juan Carlos Ramirez-Arango, who had sustained a fatal gunshot wound.
The investigation into the death of Juan Carlos Ramirez-Arango quickly focused on a woman with whom he had been in a long-term relationship. Evidence collected at the scene led detectives to arrest 67-year-old Pamela Sue Maya, also of Central Point. Authorities later revealed that Maya and Ramirez-Arango had been in a relationship for over two decades. This was not the first time their relationship had come to the attention of law enforcement. Court records indicated a history of domestic turmoil, including a 2018 case where Ramirez-Arango was the victim of an assault and strangulation allegedly perpetrated by Maya.
Following her arrest, Pamela Sue Maya was lodged in the Jackson County Jail and charged with second-degree murder. The Ashland Police Department and the Jackson County District Attorney's Office assisted in the initial stages of the investigation, while the Oregon State Police Forensics Lab processed the crime scene for evidence. The case cast a somber light on the dynamics of their long and troubled relationship, culminating in a violent end. The overview of the case reveals a domestic situation that escalated to a fatal conclusion, with a history of violence that foreshadowed the tragic outcome. The legal proceedings against Maya were set to unfold, with a probable cause hearing scheduled as the next step in the pursuit of justice for Juan Carlos Ramirez-Arango.