Man Gets 35 Years For Connection To Murder Of Elderly Woman, Burning Of Body
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – A Southwest Miami-Dade man has been sentenced to 35 years in prison for his connection to the killing of an elderly woman and subsequent burning of her body.
Santy Castillo's arrest warrant shows he was facing multiple charges, which included Accessory After the Fact, Tampering with Physical Evidence and Abuse of a Dead Body.
It all stemmed from the murder of 70-year-old Hilda Gonzalez, who was allegedly suffocated by her daughter, Sasha Gonzalez.
According to a police report, Sasha Gonzalez killed her mother because of an argument about Castillo not leaving the home.
Police said Sasha Gonzalez removed the doorknob from her mother's locked bedroom door so she and Castillo could suffocate her by putting a large black trash bag over her head.
According to the police report, Sasha Gonzalez, her boyfriend, Yancel Castillo, and Santy Castillo put the body on a pile of tree branches on the side of the house and set it on fire the morning after the murder. The remains were then put into county trash bin.
Yancel Castillo reportedly told police he also removed a bloodstained mattress from the bedroom in order to destroy it outside but Sasha Gonzalez stopped him and said she was going to clean it instead.
He also admitted, according to police, to helping his brother gather the tree branches, which were stacked on top of the victim's body and set on fire.
Police said he also stated his girlfriend's clothes and shoes had bloodstains and witnessed her using a mop and cleaning products to clean blood in the mother's bedroom and bathroom.
Sasha Gonzalez is charged with First Degree Murder and Tampering with Physical Evidence.
Yancel Castillo is charged with Accessory After the Fact, Tampering with Physical Evidence and Abuse of a Dead Body.