Fugitive Wanted in 1998 Double Homicide, Attempted Homicide in Moreno Valley Arrested Near Guadalajara

A fugitive wanted for a 1998 double homicide and attempted homicide was arrested in Mexico on Tuesday near Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, based on an investigation by the Inland Regional Apprehension Team (IRAT), announced Timothy Delaney, the Acting Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office.

Jose Moreno Castillo, 37 years old, was arrested on Tuesday, August 7, near Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, pursuant to a provisional arrest warrant issued in Mexico. Castillo was wanted by the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department for a double homicide, and an attempted homicide, that occurred in Moreno Valley, California, on May 20, 1998. According to investigators, Castillo stabbed his ex-girlfriend, who was nine months pregnant with a baby girl, killing the mother and the unborn child. Castillo then stabbed his ex-girlfriend’s mother, but she survived the incident. Investigators believe that Castillo fled the scene of the crime before law enforcement arrived. Castillo was on probation in Los Angeles County at the time of the murder for a previous stabbing incident that occurred in Los Angeles in 1996.

In June 1998, the Riverside County Sheriff’s requested the assistance of the FBI’s Inland Regional Apprehension Team in locating Castillo. In October 1998, a criminal complaint was filed in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles charging Castillo with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution (UFAP).

The Riverside County District Attorney’s Office formally requested the provisional arrest and extradition of Castillo from Mexico. The government of Mexico then authorized the provisional arrest of Castillo in 2006. However, Castillo’s whereabouts were unknown in 2006.

In July 2012, the Inland Regional Apprehension Team and FBI agents assigned to Mexico City developed new information on the possible whereabouts of Castillo and the false identity he was believed to using in Mexico.

This information was provided to the Policia Federal Ministerial (PFM), formerly known as Agencia Federal Investigacion (AFI). On Tuesday, officers with the PFM located Castillo near Guadalajara and took Castillo into custody. Castillo is currently incarcerated in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, pending extradition to the United States.

The successful apprehension of Jose Moreno Castillo can be attributed to the collaborative efforts of the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department; the FBI; the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office; the FBI’s Legal Attaché in Mexico City and Guadalajara; and the Mexican PFM; as well as the efforts of all of the members of the Inland Regional Apprehension Team (IRAT). IRAT is comprised of investigators from the FBI; the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department; Riverside Police Department; and the San Bernardino Police Department.

The FBI continues to work with local law enforcement to apprehend violent criminals charged with state crimes who then flee the jurisdiction interstate or internationally. Photos and descriptions of many fugitives wanted by the FBI can be found at FBI.gov.