Adriana Paulina Mendoza Lopez

Adriana Paulina Mendoza Lopez was a 39-year-old Hispanic woman whose life was tragically cut short in Medford, Oregon, on January 15, 2022. Her death left a void in the lives of those who knew her and launched a search for justice that continues to this day.

The afternoon of Saturday, January 15, was shattered by violence in a quiet residential neighborhood. Shortly after 12:30 p.m., officers from the Medford Police Department were dispatched to a home in the 800 block of Pennsylvania Avenue following a report of an assault with a firearm. When they arrived, they found Adriana inside the residence. Tragically, her injuries were too severe, and she was pronounced dead at the scene.

The investigation quickly zeroed in on a suspect: 21-year-old Cristian Lamberto Barboza-Valerio. Investigators soon revealed a painful family connection; Adriana was Barboza-Valerio's stepmother. Police determined that he had fled the scene before they arrived, and an urgent search began. He was initially believed to be driving a white truck, but the vehicle was found abandoned later that night near Interstate 5 at the California border. This discovery led authorities to believe he was likely heading toward California, where he had known ties to the cities of Yuba City, Pittsburg, Marysville, and San Francisco. He was also known to frequent the Cave Junction area in Oregon.

In the days following the homicide, the Medford Police Department released photographs of Barboza-Valerio to the public in an effort to locate him. He was described as being 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighing about 180 pounds. While the search for the suspect continued, the legal case against him moved forward. On January 20, 2022, a Jackson County grand jury returned an indictment against Cristian Lamberto Barboza-Valerio, formally charging him with one count of Murder in the Second Degree. A warrant was immediately issued for his arrest.

Police also shared a tragic detail about the suspect's recent past. His brother, Manuel Barboza-Valerio, who was experiencing homelessness, had been found deceased near an overpass in Medford just a month earlier, in mid-December 2021. Police believed hypothermia was a contributing factor in Manuel's death and noted that the two brothers had been very close.

Despite the indictment and the widespread dissemination of his photograph, Cristian Barboza-Valerio has successfully evaded capture. As of the latest reports from early February 2022, he remains on the loose and is considered a fugitive from justice. Investigators have not released further details about the motive or the specific events that led to Adriana's death, citing the ongoing nature of the case.

The investigation into the murder of Adriana Paulina Mendoza Lopez remains active. Law enforcement continues its efforts to locate and apprehend Barboza-Valerio to bring him to trial for the death of his stepmother. Authorities urge any member of the public who knows or learns of his possible whereabouts to come forward.