Triston Jay Amero
Encyclopedia
Triston Jay Amero born in 1982 (died April 1, 2008), a.k.a. Claudio Lestad, a.k.a. Lestat Claudius de Orleans y Montevideo (the names Lestat and Claudius coming from two different characters in Anne Rice
's novels) and John Scheda, from New Orleans, Louisiana
, United States
, was arrested for the hotel bombings that killed two people and wounded seven others in Bolivia
on Wednesday, March 22, 2006. The bombings damaged two low rent hotels. The attack killed two people and injured seven. A third bombing was stopped. He was eventually found guilty of murder.
Amero had reportedly been hospitalized for psychiatric treatment and had been in juvenile prison several times, beginning at the age of seven. He had wandered around Latin America
for some years before settling in the Bolivian city of Potosí
in 2004. In posts from Colombia
to his blog he repeatedly described himself as a loner, a "political refugee" and "the Superman of Loosers" [sic] whose strongest desire was to distance himself from the United States.
Although the Bolivian police were unsure of the motive for the bombings that led to Amero's arrest, President Evo Morales
declared: "This American was putting bombs in hotels." "The U.S. government fights terrorism, and they send us terrorists," he said. Morales denounced the bombings as an attack on Bolivia's democracy. He called it "typical of terrorist crime." This caused a brief cooling of U.S.-Bolivian relations.
Deputy Interior Minister Rafael Puente
told Radio Fides: "The possible motives behind these attacks are incomprehensible. There don't seem to be any concrete objectives other than causing deaths."
Amero and an accomplice, Alda Ribiero Acosta of Uruguay
, were arrested by police in a hotel in the slum of El Alto
, formally charged with murder, and were held in a maximum security prison near La Paz
. While there, Amero attempted to stab his lawyer and had gasoline hidden in his cell, with plans to set fire to a prison official and a U.S. diplomat. Amero was sentenced to 30 years in prison on January 23, 2008.
At the age of 26, Amero died in a hospital on April 1, 2008, after complaining of stomach pains while in prison.
Anne Rice
Anne Rice is a best-selling Southern American author of metaphysical gothic fiction, Christian literature and erotica from New Orleans, Louisiana. Her books have sold nearly 100 million copies, making her one of the most widely read authors in modern history...
's novels) and John Scheda, from New Orleans, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, was arrested for the hotel bombings that killed two people and wounded seven others in Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
on Wednesday, March 22, 2006. The bombings damaged two low rent hotels. The attack killed two people and injured seven. A third bombing was stopped. He was eventually found guilty of murder.
Amero had reportedly been hospitalized for psychiatric treatment and had been in juvenile prison several times, beginning at the age of seven. He had wandered around Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
for some years before settling in the Bolivian city of Potosí
Potosí
Potosí is a city and the capital of the department of Potosí in Bolivia. It is one of the highest cities in the world by elevation at a nominal . and it was the location of the Spanish colonial mint, now the National Mint of Bolivia...
in 2004. In posts from Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
to his blog he repeatedly described himself as a loner, a "political refugee" and "the Superman of Loosers" [sic] whose strongest desire was to distance himself from the United States.
Although the Bolivian police were unsure of the motive for the bombings that led to Amero's arrest, President Evo Morales
Evo Morales
Juan Evo Morales Ayma , popularly known as Evo , is a Bolivian politician and activist, currently serving as the 80th President of Bolivia, a position that he has held since 2006. He is also the leader of both the Movement for Socialism party and the cocalero trade union...
declared: "This American was putting bombs in hotels." "The U.S. government fights terrorism, and they send us terrorists," he said. Morales denounced the bombings as an attack on Bolivia's democracy. He called it "typical of terrorist crime." This caused a brief cooling of U.S.-Bolivian relations.
Deputy Interior Minister Rafael Puente
Rafael Puente
Rafael Puente Del Río is a Mexican actor and retired football striker. Born to soccer columnist and former Mexican national team goalkeeper Rafael Puente, Sr, Puente played for the Mexican soccer club, Necaxa. Then on May 22, 2006, he debuted as an actor in telenovelas in Codigo Postal as Hector...
told Radio Fides: "The possible motives behind these attacks are incomprehensible. There don't seem to be any concrete objectives other than causing deaths."
Amero and an accomplice, Alda Ribiero Acosta of Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
, were arrested by police in a hotel in the slum of El Alto
El Alto
At one time merely a suburb of adjacent La Paz, Bolivia, on the Altiplano highlands, the city of El Alto is today one of Bolivia's largest and fastest-growing urban centers. As of the 2001 census, the population was 649,958. In 2010, the population may be nearly 900,000, or more. The city contains...
, formally charged with murder, and were held in a maximum security prison near La Paz
La Paz
Nuestra Señora de La Paz is the administrative capital of Bolivia, as well as the departmental capital of the La Paz Department, and the second largest city in the country after Santa Cruz de la Sierra...
. While there, Amero attempted to stab his lawyer and had gasoline hidden in his cell, with plans to set fire to a prison official and a U.S. diplomat. Amero was sentenced to 30 years in prison on January 23, 2008.
At the age of 26, Amero died in a hospital on April 1, 2008, after complaining of stomach pains while in prison.