Who is La Muñeca? The 22-Year-Old Alleged Hitwoman Shocking Colombia
Karen Julieth Ojeda Rodriguez, also known as La Muñeca, has been arrested. The 22-year-old woman allegedly created a small group of hitmen who were doing her bidding in the city of Barrancabermeja, Colombia. She cemented her reputation as a dangerous hitwoman with a loyal following of people willing to help her settle her scores.
La Muñeca is the latest in a trend of women who are joining cartels and gangs in Latin America. Organized crime throughout the region has seen more women joining the ranks as hitwomen and leaders within cartels and gangs. Here’s what we know so far.
One of La Muñeca’s victims was her ex-boyfriend
According to LibertadDigital, Deyvy Jesús García Palomino, also known as Orejas, was ambushed by people doing La Muñeca’s bidding. Allegedly, García Palomino thought he was meeting La Muñeca in Piedecuesta, a rural area, to settle a money dispute.
There isn’t any detail about the money dispute, but it was enough to get García Palomino to agree to meet and for La Muñeca to exact revenge.
When García Palomino arrived in Piedecuesta to resolve the matter, he was gunned down by two men on a motorcycle. He was transferred to a local hospital in critical condition after being shot in the chest but died shortly after arriving.
The murder was carried out with the promise of 4 million Colombian pesos (or USD 923).
Police arrested La Muñeca alongside an accomplice who is known as Leopoldo. The two were found with two high-caliber weapons, which was the gangs’ modus operandi. The guns are being put through ballistic testing to determine how many crimes the weapons were used to commit.
Additionally, another woman, 24-year-old Paula Valentina Joya Rueda, also known as Gorda Sicaria, was arrested alongside La Muñeca and Leopoldo.
Her story has captivated people because of the similarity in her looks to that of María Fernanda Yepes, a Colombian actress. One of the roles she played is Rosario Tijeras, a story of a hitwoman living in Medellín. Maybe she can play La Muñeca in the movie they created about her story, too.
Authorities are celebrating the arrests as bringing calm back to the area
La Muñeca is connected to several high-profile killings throughout Barrancabermeja, and her arrest is bringing some calm to the people who call it home. According to Diario del Norte, La Muñeca first joined the criminal world when she was 18.
As she climbed the ranks, she became a prominent member of the gang “Los de la M,” reaching the number two spot, according to Diario del Norte. Her arrest, according to authorities, is progress in the overall fight against organized crime.
“With the capture of La Muñeca and Leopoldo, a measure of calm has been generated in the region,” Lieutenant Colonel Mauricio Herrera, commander of the Magdalena Medio Police, told InfoBae. “These arrests mark progress in the dismantling of criminal structures responsible for the recent homicides.”
They have been charged with aggravated homicide. A judge ordered provisional imprisonment until they can define their legal situation.
