Special to the Record
A Chelsea man will serve at least 25 years in prison after pleading guilty last week to stabbing his wife more than 40 times in 2021 before severely injuring himself, according to Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden. Mario Mira 51, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the December 11, 2021 death of his estranged wife, Paula Andrea Ortiz, 47, at her Chelsea apartment. Judge Mary Ames sentenced Mira to life in prison, with parole eligibility after 25 years. Members of the Chelsea Police Department responded to the victim’s Stockton Street apartment at approximately 4:21 p.m. on December 11, 2021. There, they located Ortiz, who had suffered multiple stab and slash wounds.
She was pronounced dead at the scene. Responders also located Mira at the apartment. He was transported to Massachusetts General Hospital with life-threatening wounds and was eventually arraigned in his hospital bed. A knife and a boxcutter were found near Mira. Several of Ortiz’s relatives, including her sister, Ana Ortiz, and 17-year-old daughter, Maria Paz Ortiz, delivered victim impact statements at last week’s sentencing.
“It’s been almost three years of constant panic attacks, PTSD, nightmares, depression, days of not getting out of bed, days where I’m mad at the world and wonder who to blame,” stated Maria Paz Ortiz. “I’ve never really felt okay but I forced myself to find peace. I had no other option, I’m still angry at my dad, but I don’t hate him. But now I have to explain to my kids why grandpa and grandma aren’t with us, I have to retell my story thousands of times.
“I still have so many questions, but they will probably go unanswered,” she continued. “I do wish my dad had thought about us, but I guess these are things anger can do to you.” Hayden praised the survivors for sharing their emotions at the sentencing. “These moving and heartbreaking words spoken by the people who knew and loved Paula Andrea Ortiz encompass all of the tragedy and cruelty and endless sorrow of domestic violence, and this case was as sad and tragic as any domestic violence case gets,” Hayden said.
The victims of any crime, including domestic or sexual violence, should call 911 in an emergency. SafeLink, a statewide DV hotline, can be reached at 877-785-2020. SafeLink is answered by trained advocates 24/7 in English, Spanish and Portuguese, as well as TTY at 877-521-2601. It also has the capacity to provide multilingual translation in more than 140 languages. RAINN, the nation’s largest anti-sexual violence organization in partnership with more than 1,000 local sexual assault service providers across the country, can be reached at 800-656-4673. Help is also available for members of our LGBTQ+ community experiencing domestic or intimate partner violence through The Network/La Red by calling 617-742-4911 or 800-832-1901