U.S. Extradites to El Salvador Inland Empire Man to Face Charges of Murdering Woman in Front of Infant Son, Whom He Abandoned

LOS ANGELES - A dual U.S.-Salvadoran citizen and Riverside County man has been extradited at the request of the Government of El Salvador so he may face trial for allegedly murdering a woman in front of their toddler son in 2019, then abandoning the boy, whom farm workers found several days later, severely dehydrated, hungry and showing signs of child abuse.

Michael Alejandro Castillo Murga, 27, of Beaumont, was surrendered on Wednesday to Salvadoran authorities to face criminal charges of aggravated feminicide and imperfect homicide. Castillo Murga had been in U.S. custody since October 2024.

According to El Salvador's extradition request, on February 1, 2019, Salvadoran authorities discovered the body of a woman near a highway. Three days later, law enforcement learned of the discovery of a boy, under the age of two years, in the vicinity of where the victim's body was found. Authorities treated the boy for dehydration and mental health and later identified him as the son of the victim and Castillo Murga.

According to Salvadoran authorities, Castillo Murga and the victim began a romantic relationship in 2014 and, two years later, the victim became pregnant, giving birth to their son in 2017. Although Castillo Murga promised to support their son financially, he was inconsistent with his visits, occasionally leaving money under a rock outside of his house for the victim. Castillo Murga also promised to continue financially supporting their son and urged the victim to be patient.

On the evening of January 31, 2019, Castillo Murga picked up the victim and their son from her mother's house to take her to a house he rented, ostensibly for the purpose of living with him as a family. However, Salvadoran law enforcement believes that Castillo Murga then killed the victim and abandoned the child at the site of the victim's murder. An autopsy revealed the victim died from a massive hemorrhage resulting from cuts to the veins in her neck, among other wounds caused by a plastic knife found at the crime scene.

Castillo Murga's cellular telephone was determined to be in the area of the victim's murder at the time of her death, and two witnesses who were passing Castillo Murga and the victim on the highway observed a tall, thin person attacking a woman in the back seat of a gray vehicle, while she was kicking and screaming. During this time, Castillo Murga ignored telephone calls and messages from his girlfriend, whom he later contacted by sending her a photograph of himself covered with blood stains on his face and neck.

Approximately four days after the victim's murder, farm workers discovered the boy and contacted police, unsure if the abandoned child was dead or alive. Medical personnel determined the child was in a state of severe dehydration and starvation and showed signs of child abuse. He also had cuts on his face, dry lips and nose, and insect bites. Authorities concluded that the physical and environmental conditions of the rugged area where the boy was found put the child's life at risk.

Salvadoran authorities also learned that Castillo Murga and others - including his girlfriend, his grandmother, and a lawyer - attempted to conceal the victim's death and the abandonment of their son. The grandmother and lawyer instructed two individuals to wash Castillo Murga's car because there was blood on both the interior and exterior of the vehicle. The individuals used water, car shampoo, and vinegar but were unable to remove all the blood in the car.

On February 2, 2019, allegedly with the help of his grandmother and lawyer, Castillo Murga left El Salvador, on foot, for Guatemala, and used his U.S. passport at a border checkpoint there.

In October 2024, the United States acted on a request for Castillo Murga's extradition submitted by the Government of El Salvador and the U.S. Marshals Service arrested him. On July 28, 2025, United States Magistrate Judge Sheri Pym certified his extradition to El Salvador.

Castillo Murga then filed a petition for writ of habeas corpus, which United States District Judge John W. Holcomb denied on November 5, 2025. The Secretary of State issued a warrant ordering Castillo Murga's surrender to Salvadoran authorities. Judge Holcomb subsequently denied Castillo Murga's request for a stay of extradition on September 24, 2026.

Assistant United States Attorney John J. Lulejian and Trial Attorneys Reena T. Mittelman and Amanda Matey Pyles of the Justice Department's Office of International Affairs handled this extradition matter.

The United States Marshals Service for the Central District of California provided significant assistance in this case and transported and transferred Castillo Murga to the custody of Salvadoran authorities.