Prelim Hearing Delayed for Man Charged with Killing Carlsbad Mother

Gilberto Mendoza Castillo, 38, was arrested March 31 in Tijuana and turned over to U.S. authorities. At Castillo's arraignment April 3, Deputy District Attorney Ryan Saunders said the victim, Maria Munoz, dated Castillo for about a month before ending the relationship.

Munoz, 31, and Castillo had worked together for a couple of years at in Carlsbad, he said.

Castillo found out that Munoz was picking up a man at the taco shop the night of Dec. 7, 2003, and waited for them, according to the prosecutor. Castillo then approached them with a gun and shot her six times, killing her, Saunders said.

The man survived.

An arrest warrant for Castillo was issued 12 days later but he remained a fugitive until his arrest in Mexico earlier this year. He has been in custody at the Vista jail ever since, with bail set at $5 million.

In addition to murder, Castillo is charged with the attempted murder of the man who was with Munoz.

He faces 80 years to life in state prison if convicted, according to Saunders. A judge will decide at the end of the preliminary hearing whether there's enough evidence to order Castillo to stand trial.

–City News Service