A horrifying crime that shocked the Bronx community in 2020 has finally resulted in an arrest. Stephanie Castillo, a 36-year-old woman, was recently taken into custody by the NYPD after DNA evidence linked her to the murder of her twin newborns. The infants were found dumped in a rat-infested alley in Claremont, wrapped in garbage bags like pieces of trash.
The babies, named Zeke and Zane by NYPD officers, were less than 24 hours old when their lives were tragically cut short. One of the infants was discovered partially covered in a pet training pad, with signs of head trauma and the umbilical cord wrapped around their neck. The other twin was found just 20 feet away, bound in a black plastic bag with no visible injuries.
Authorities were able to trace Castillo back to the crime scene as she had previously lived in the College Avenue building near where the babies were found. She had since moved to a nearby shelter, where she was apprehended by police with the assistance of Homeland Security Investigations agents.
The detectives working on the case were deeply affected by the brutality of the crime. The infants had suffered fractures to their little bodies before being callously discarded in the alley. The NYPD officers and homicide detectives who investigated the case felt a personal connection to the twins, giving them names and organizing a funeral in their honor.
“I have never seen a case like this,” one detective remarked. “These were two newborn babies who were full term and then put in garbage bags and thrown in a rat-infested backyard. Their little bodies had fractures. This has weighed heavy on every detective that has worked on the case.”
Stephanie Castillo now faces first- and second-degree murder charges, as well as counts of murder with intent and manslaughter in connection to the deaths of her twin infants. The arrest brings a sense of closure to a community that was horrified by the senseless tragedy that befell Zeke and Zane.
