On September 19, 2016, a 20-year-old Hispanic female named Lucia Pamatz was tragically killed in her Salem, Oregon home. Fearing for her life, Pamatz had dialed 911 to report that her ex-boyfriend, Cristian Acosta, was attempting to break into her residence on Hyde Court Southeast. The dispatcher instructed her to hide, and she took refuge in a bathroom. While on the line with 911, the dispatcher could hear Pamatz begging for her life as Acosta forced his way in and fired multiple shots.
Pamatz was shot and killed execution-style.
The perpetrator, 24-year-old Cristian Acosta, had a history of violence and abuse directed at Pamatz. In June of 2016, just three months prior to her murder, Pamatz had secured a restraining order against him. She had previously reported to authorities that he had access to firearms and she believed he was capable of hurting her and others. At the time of the murder, Acosta was on probation for a prior assault against Pamatz.
Following the murder, Cristian Acosta fled the state in an attempt to evade law enforcement. He was apprehended by authorities at the Canadian border. In September 2017, a year after the killing, Acosta pleaded guilty to aggravated murder. During his sentencing, Acosta addressed Pamatz's family, stating that he had loved her and that he was in a rage and out of his mind when he broke into her home and shot her. The prosecutor countered that the murder was not a spontaneous act but involved extensive planning and cruelty, citing his history of physical and sexual abuse. On November 30, 2017, Cristian Acosta was sentenced to life in prison with no possibility of parole.
