Derek Owen Cuellar-Torres Pleads Guilty In Homicide Case (Photo) -07/21/25

HILLSBORO, Ore- On July 7, 2025, Derek Owen Cuellar-Torres pleaded guilty to murder in the second degree with a firearm and attempted murder in the first degree with a firearm. Washington County Circuit Court Judge Ricardo Menchaca then sentenced the defendant to life in prison with a minimum of 32.5 years. Senior Deputy District Attorneys John Gerhard and Dustin Staten prosecuted this case.
 

On October 21, 2023, the two victims in this case, aged 17 and 16 at the time, attended a birthday party in Hillsboro. The brother of the teen celebrating her birthday felt the victims were being disrespectful. He contacted his friends, including the defendant, who were members of a local gang, to help him confront the two victims.
 

The brother drove the defendant and three others back to the brother’s home to confront the victims. The defendant and one of the other teenagers were armed with handguns. The brother and another teen went inside and lured the victims and others outside, while the defendant and a second teen hid in the shadows on the side of the house. When the victims got outside, the defendant and the second teenager opened fire on the victims. Two people were struck by gunfire. The 17-year-old victim, Jesus Copado-Oropeza, died from his wounds, and the other victim suffered non-fatal injuries. The defendant, victims, and other involved teens knew each other from attending Hillsboro High School. A total of 22 shell casings were recovered at the scene.
 

Hillsboro police launched an investigation and quickly identified the defendant and the second teenager as suspects in the shooting. Investigators confronted them, and they both admitted to their involvement. Investigators later found text messages between the defendant and his gang associates where the defendant complained that he was “losing time” and wanted to “catch a body” before he turned 18. In another chat, the defendant’s gang associate warned him that he would get charged as an adult for committing murder, but the defendant dismissed those concerns, saying he would blame alcohol and drugs for his decisions and would avoid punishment.  In another group chat, the defendant bragged about murdering Jesus Copado-Oropeza and claimed that he could now become a cartel assassin.
 

The defendant was less than 30 days from his 18^th birthday at the time of the crime, but pursuant to juvenile justice reforms in 2019 (SB 1008), the defendant was required to be initially prosecuted as a juvenile. The defendant was transferred to adult court for prosecution after a waiver proceeding. However, the juvenile justice reforms will make the defendant eligible for parole consideration after 15 years and conditional release after serving half of his sentence. SB 1008 does not give an elected judge the authority to limit or delay parole eligibility or conditional release consideration.
 

The Washington County District Attorney’s Office commends the investigative work of Detectives Devin Rigo and Anthony Johnson of the Hillsboro Police Department on this case.
 

Mr. Cuellar-Torres will be transferred to the Oregon Department of Corrections to begin serving his sentence at the Oregon Youth Authority. 

Washington County District Attorney's Office Awarded Funding To Reexamine 1994 Cold Case Homicide (Photo) -07/10/25

*** Note to media: The victim’s adult daughter is willing to do an interview about this case. Contact Stephen Mayer to make arrangements. ***

 

HILLSBORO, Ore- The Washington County District Attorney’s Office has applied for and been awarded $14,000 from the Oregon Cold Case Investigators Association (OCCIA) to reexamine a 1994 cold case homicide. This funding will be used to conduct forensic testing as this office seeks to deliver justice for the victim and her loved ones.

 

On February 16, 1994, 85-year-old Veta Hardebeck was found deceased outside her home on a rural farm in Gaston, Oregon. Ms. Hardebeck lived alone and was initially believed to have died from a medical condition or accident. However, an autopsy later revealed she was the victim of a homicide. Despite extensive work on this case, it remains unsolved.

 

This inaugural OCCIA/Brother’s Car Collection Cold Case Grant is administered by OCCIA in partnership with the Brother’s Car Collection. The goal of this funding is to support local cold case investigative efforts on cases where funding has been a barrier to additional investigation.  This funding will allow investigators to submit multiple items to a private lab for advanced DNA testing and analysis.

 

“Providing justice on unsolved murders is a priority,” said Washington County District Attorney Kevin Barton. “No matter how much time has passed, we want victims and perpetrators to know that we will continue to work to solve these cases. We are very grateful for the support from the Brother’s Car Collection and OCCIA to help make this happen.”

 

In 2020, this office secured federal funding to launch the Cold Case Unit, which has been working to investigate and prosecute violent crime cold cases that involve identified DNA associated with a possible suspect. This team determined 14 homicides were eligible for review, including the 1988 unsolved murder of Deborah Atrops. After fresh investigative work, the victim’s estranged husband, Robert Atrops, was indicted for and convicted of her murder. Senior Deputy District Attorney Allison Brown led this prosecution and also manages the Cold Case Unit. SDDA Brown says this funding will give investigators the resources they need to apply today’s technology to a 31-year-old case.

 

“We are grateful to the Brother’s Car Collection and OCCIA for this award. Forensic testing capabilities have dramatically changed in the last 30 years, and we are hopeful this funding will provide new leads into Veta’s murder.” 

 

Those with information about this, or any other cold case in Washington County, should contact law enforcement. Anyone wishing to remain anonymous can submit a confidential tip.