January 1, DOJ Hands Over Dual Citizen to Face Brutal Murder Charges Abroad

Wyatt’s Take

• A dual U.S.-Salvadoran citizen is being sent back to El Salvador to answer for the savage killing of his son’s mother.
• Authorities say he left the toddler alone near the body in the middle of nowhere for days.
• The case marks the first time America has returned one of its own citizens to face justice in El Salvador.

The Department of Justice says Michael Alejandro Castillo Murga, 27, of Beaumont, California, was turned over to Salvadoran authorities Wednesday.

Prosecutors claim he murdered Melvi Fernanda Nájera Quezada in front of their young son before ditching the boy near her body.

Salvadoran officials accuse him of aggravated femicide and imperfect homicide in the 2019 attack.

Investigators say Castillo Murga picked up the woman and their child on January 31, 2019, under the promise of starting a new life together.

Instead, they allege, he killed her and left their son to fend for himself beside the remains.

“An autopsy determined she died from severe bleeding caused by cuts to her neck and other wounds inflicted with a plastic knife, according to the DOJ.”

Farmworkers found the boy days later in rough country, dehydrated, starving, and covered in cuts and bug bites.

Cellphone records and witnesses helped tie Castillo Murga to the scene, officials said.

Authorities also say he sent his girlfriend a photo showing blood on his face and neck.

Prosecutors claim his grandmother and a lawyer tried to help cover up evidence by having the bloody car scrubbed with shampoo and vinegar.

Castillo Murga fled to Guatemala shortly after the killing, then made his way into the United States.

U.S. Marshals arrested him last year after El Salvador requested his return.

He fought the extradition in federal court, but judges rejected every attempt to block the transfer.

The secretary of state signed off, and he was handed over Wednesday.

Wyatt Matters

Every child deserves a safe home and every mother deserves protection. When the justice system finally catches up to someone who throws that away, it sends a clear message that we still put family safety first.