Viviana Lucinda Vallejo, 27, will spend 18 years in prison for helping lure a man to his death at Jackson Bottom Wetlands Preserve in 2020.

Vallejo pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter on Friday, Oct. 2, for her role in the killing of Alexis Vega-Cruz, the Washington County District Attorney's Office announced. Washington County Circuit Court Judge Andrew Erwin handed down the sentence.

Vega-Cruz, 23, was found dead from a gunshot wound on Nov. 4, 2020, at the preserve in Hillsboro. The case went cold. Hillsboro police had no leads for more than two years.

In January 2023, police received a tip from someone who said an acquaintance had admitted to shooting and killing Vega-Cruz, according to the Hillsboro News-Times. Prosecutors allege the shooter was Tyren Todd Thomas, who believed Vega-Cruz was involved in an assault months earlier and wanted revenge.

Investigators determined Thomas convinced Vallejo to lure Vega-Cruz to the wetlands preserve, knowing he would be killed there, according to the DA's office.

Both suspects were arrested in June 2023 after U.S. Marshals and Hillsboro police detectives took Thomas into custody on June 22, 2023. Officers arrested Vallejo five days later, on June 27, 2023, according to KOIN. Crime Stoppers of Oregon had offered a cash reward for information in the case the month before.

Vallejo had originally been charged with second-degree murder. Under the plea deal, she pleaded guilty to the lesser manslaughter charge, and a separate first-degree assault charge was dismissed, according to court records.

Thomas has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder, felon in possession of a firearm and five counts of witness tampering. His trial is scheduled for January 2027, though a DA's office spokesperson said that date could change.

Chief Deputy District Attorney John Gerhard and Senior Deputy District Attorney Dustin Staten prosecuted the case.

Thomas's trial remains the next scheduled court date. Anyone with information about crimes in Hillsboro can contact the Hillsboro Police Department at 503-681-6190 or Crime Stoppers of Oregon.