SAN IGNACIO, Cayo District. Mon. Nov. 22, 2021 — Police are on a manhunt at this time for a 28-year-old man who is the prime suspect in a tragic weekend double murder of a woman and her young daughter. Brian Castillo, 28, is said to have fled the area with his young son after butchering his common-law wife, Jennifer Archila, 33, and her 12-year-old daughter, Natzia Catzim.

Police found the bodies of the two victims on Sunday night around 9:00 p.m. at the family’s home on Zericote Street in San Ignacio. The two victims were both awash in blood inside the bedroom of the home, both apparently dead. Upon making checks, police discovered that Natzia was still alive and rushed the two to the Western Regional Hospital, but shortly after, both victims were pronounced dead.

Police reported observing large cut wounds and large cuts to the bodies of both of the victims. The murder weapon, a 7-inch kitchen knife, was found in an overgrown area near the apartment where the bodies were found.

The urgency in the police’s efforts to locate Castillo is amplified, given that his young son, a 7-year-old boy, was reportedly taken by him. There is no indication if he has left the country by now, but police said that checkpoints were set up shortly after the discovery of the bodies.

Police are aware, however, that the suspect may have had a reasonable amount of time to flee, since they are uncertain exactly when the argument and subsequent violence took place. They are not sure if he has already left the country.

They are also doing a background check on the couple to determine if the two were involved in any prior incidents of domestic violence. Police Communications Director, Fitzroy Yearwood, has noted the brutal nature of this crime and said that it is indicative of prolonged domestic violence and not an isolated incident.

For now, police are trying to piece together their understanding of what occurred and retrieve the 7-year-old minor, who remains in the care of the prime suspect, since they believe that he may be in danger.

According to another resident of the apartment complex in which the couple resided, the two had been living at the apartment building for a little over a month. That resident said that by the time he became aware that something was amiss, Castillo had already left the premises.

Brian Castillo was not the father of the 12-year-old girl killed in the attack.

Police Communications Director, Fitzroy Yearwood, told local reporters, “We believe the son could be in danger. We believe that anybody that tries to approach him, whether or not he is still in this state of rage, your life will be in danger. So we ask the public not to approach him, and if they do, approach with caution. We do not know what state of mind he is in, and we do not want to add to his death count.”

As mentioned a search is on-going for the suspect, Brian Jerry Castillo. The Police Department is asking members of the public to offer any information they can which could lead to the discovery and arrest of Castillo.