The fiancé of a woman accused of murdering her seven year old daughter by drowning has suggested her bipolar disorder and concerns about her legal residency status may have contributed to the alleged murder.
Little Rebecca Castellanos was found dead on the evening of Friday, April 11. Responding to an emergency call around 5:40pm, members of the Los Angeles Police Department and paramedics arrived at the apartment on Sepulveda Boulevard to find the child unresponsive in the bathtub.
The mother, 37 year old Garcia Castellanos, was swiftly identified as the main suspect and was arrested and taken into custody. Her stepfather, who wished to remain unnamed said: “With passive bipolar disorder and the depression of potentially being unable to become a legal resident, all of this drove her to do what she did. I’m sure she was out of her mind when she attacked the girl.”
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Adding to the horror, one neighbour, who was present that fateful night, reported hearing heart-wrenching screams of “Mommy, please no. Mommy, please no,” according to ABC7. Subsequently, the coroner’s office confirmed young Rebecca’s cause of death as homicide by asphyxia due to neck compression combined with drowning, reports the Mirror US.
The suspect’s fiancé, speaking anonymously, disclosed to Eyewitness News that Castellanos struggles with mental and emotional issues leading her to occasionally scream and self-isolate until she can realign herself. He clarified that these episodes had never escalated to violence.
However, he suggested that the crushing possibility of never securing legal residency might have tipped her over the edge. He said: “First, I want to say that my wife was an almost perfect mom. She never told a bad word, yelled at the girl, didn’t hit he. She was the sweetest mom in the world.”
The suspect’s partner came back to the apartment around 7pm , more than an hour after the alleged events transpired. He said: “I never got to the apartment and saw the girl, or her. I got home after all of it happened. This happened at 4pm or 5pm and I got home at almost 7pm on the dot.”
He remarked that Castellanos plunged into severe depression about her immigration status, which may have led to her breaking point. Although he believes she was the kindest soul who would never harm her daughter, he did not outright dismiss the police allegations that suggest Castellanos might have committed the shocking act of murdering her child.
Shell-shocked and deeply disturbed by last week’s horrific incident, Castellanos’ partner remains in disbelief. The couple were due to tie the knot in approximately two months, according to him. Following this, Castellanos’ fiancé expressed his intention to officially adopt the little 7 year old girl.
LAPD officials have yet to disclose additional details that would shed light on the sequence of events leading to the tragic death of the young girl. The investigation is still ongoing. Meanwhile, Castellanos continues to be held in custody with a substantial bail set at $2 million.
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