The two perpetrators of the murder of Police Patrol Officer Karen Estefany Pajoy Candela have been arrested. The crime that outraged the country occurred on December 9, 2025, in the Alto Cañada village of La Plata, Huila, while she was on vacation and accompanying her son to school along with her sister.
The arrests of 'Hernán' and 'Rambo' took place during an intelligence and investigative operation led by the National Police against the Hernando Gonzáles Acosta front of the Isaías Pardo central bloc of the FARC dissidents.
'Hernán' is accused of being the logistics coordinator and explosives expert, while 'Rambo' would be a member of the hitman wing, according to the Police, who described their captures as a "hard blow."
"'Hernán' would have had a criminal career of more than two years, being designated by alias Bleiner García, the main leader of the front, as head of the support network for coordination of selective homicides and later as logistics coordinator. During his criminal activity, he would have been in charge of coordinating offensive actions against the Public Force, as well as the military and logistical supply of the structure, supporting mobility and lodging of members in the municipalities of La Plata, Nátaga and La Argentina," they stated.
"Today we can tell the family of our patrol officer Karen Estefany Pajoy that we have kept our promise. We kept our promise to capture those responsible for this painful crime. Thanks to the investigative and intelligence work of the National Police, these criminals will have to answer to justice for the crimes of homicide, conspiracy to commit crime and acts of terrorism," said General William Rincón Zambrano, director of the Police.
The murder of the 21-year-old patrol officer caused outrage throughout Colombia due to the gravity and context in which the crime occurred: she was on vacation and was attacked by hitmen while riding a motorcycle towards the municipality of La Plata to take her son to kindergarten.
At the time, President Gustavo Petro condemned the murder through his X account and stated that what happened constituted "a brutal war crime committed by the EMC."
