Month: October 2026

LOS ANGELES (KESQ) – A 27-year-old Beaumont man accused of murdering a woman in front of their toddler son in El Salvador has been extradited at the request of the government, the Department of Justice announced.

Michael Alejandro Castillo Murga, a dual U.S.-Salvadoran citizen, was surrendered on Wednesday to Salvadoran authorities to face criminal charges of aggravated feminicide and imperfect homicide.

Castillo Murga had been in U.S. custody since October 2024.

The murder is believed to have happened on Jan. 31, 2019. Authorities said Castillo Murga picked up the victim and their son from her mother’s house to take her to a house he rented, ostensibly for the purpose of living with him as a family. Salvadoran law enforcement believes that Castillo Murga then killed the victim and abandoned the child at the site of the victim’s murder.

An autopsy revealed the victim died from a massive hemorrhage resulting from cuts to the veins in her neck, among other wounds caused by a plastic knife found at the crime scene.

According to El Salvador’s extradition request, Salvadoran authorities discovered the body of a woman near a highway on Feb. 1. Three days later, farmworkers found the boy, who is under the age of two years, in the vicinity of where the victim’s body was found.

The boy, identified as the son of the victim and Castillo Murga, was found in a state of severe dehydration and starvation and showed signs of child abuse. He also had cuts on his face, dry lips and nose, and insect bites. Authorities concluded that the physical and environmental conditions of the rugged area where the boy was found put the child’s life at risk.

Castillo Murga’s cellular telephone was determined to be in the area of the victim’s murder at the time of her death, and two witnesses who were passing Castillo Murga and the victim on the highway observed a tall, thin person attacking a woman in the back seat of a gray vehicle, while she was kicking and screaming.

During this time, Castillo Murga ignored telephone calls and messages from his girlfriend, whom he later contacted by sending her a photograph of himself covered with blood stains on his face and neck.

Salvadoran authorities also learned that Castillo Murga and others – including his girlfriend, his grandmother, and a lawyer – attempted to conceal the victim’s death and the abandonment of their son.

The grandmother and lawyer instructed two individuals to wash Castillo Murga’s car because there was blood on both the interior and exterior of the vehicle. The individuals used water, car shampoo, and vinegar but were unable to remove all the blood in the car.

On February 2, 2019, allegedly with the help of his grandmother and lawyer, Castillo Murga left El Salvador, on foot, for Guatemala, and used his U.S. passport at a border checkpoint there.

In October 2024, the United States acted on a request for Castillo Murga’s extradition submitted by the Government of El Salvador and the U.S. Marshals Service arrested him. On July 28, 2025, United States Magistrate Judge Sheri Pym certified his extradition to El Salvador.

Castillo Murga then filed a petition for writ of habeas corpus, which United States District Judge John W. Holcomb denied on November 5, 2025.

The Secretary of State issued a warrant ordering Castillo Murga’s surrender to Salvadoran authorities. Judge Holcomb subsequently denied Castillo Murga’s request for a stay of extradition on September 24, 2026.

MECCA, Calif. (KESQ) – The search continues for a missing teenager last seen in Mecca on October 15.

Anthony “Aswet” Holleman was reported missing on the morning of October 16, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office.

Holleman’s father, Larry Holleman, told News Channel 3 that his son ran away from home following an argument. Larry said Anthony has brain trauma that has resulted in a learning disability and has been known to wander away from home.

“We are asking that you keep your eyes open, please. It’s important that we find out where he is at so that we can get him home safe,” Larry said.

Larry said he has been searching areas throughout the East Valley for his son.

Anthony has been known to spend time in North Indio and near Miles Park. The Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians, of which Holleman is a member, also shared information about his disappearance on the tribe’s Facebook page, noting that he has been known to frequent North Indio and Mountain View.

According to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded after receiving a report that the juvenile had left a location in an unknown direction. Deputies searched the area but were unable to locate him.

“Deputies entered the juvenile into the missing person database as a runaway, and the investigation remains ongoing,” the Sheriff’s Office said in an email.

Holleman is described as 5 feet, 6 inches tall, weighing approximately 125 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes.

Anyone with information about Holleman’s whereabouts is urged to contact the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office at 951-776-1099 or his family at 760-469-6990.

COACHELLA, Calif. (KESQ) — Four candidates are vying to become Coachella’s next mayor as the city faces questions about public trust, government transparency and its future development.

The race comes after a turbulent year in city politics. In March, then-Mayor Steven Hernandez resigned after pleading guilty to a felony conflict-of-interest charge. Months later, a proposed data center project sparked community protests and recall efforts targeting two City Council members.

The candidates include incumbent Mayor Frank Figueroa, Councilmember Denise Delgado, Francisco “Frankie” Molina and Jesus “Kino” Gonzalez.

Check Out: Coachella Mayor Dr. Frank Figueroa discusses his reelection campaign

Molina, who does not have experience in city government, says restoring public trust would be his first priority if elected.

“We need a clean and transparent government because without that we’re not able to move forward in any initiatives we need to do,” Molina said.

Molina criticized what he described as a history of problems within city government, saying they have prevented Coachella from reaching its potential.

“The problem is we have a long history of corruption, negligence, nepotism and incompetence that plagues our city,” Molina said. “It’s like a cancer and we need to get rid of it.”

His proposals include creating a public dashboard to track city spending, improving access to city contracts, investing in infrastructure and expanding affordable housing. He also wants to create more opportunities for residents to receive job training and pursue better-paying jobs.

Molina said he hopes to bring an entrepreneurial approach to city government by listening to residents and developing solutions based on their needs.

“We need to know who our customer is, what they like, what they don’t like, how they behave, in order for us to develop solutions that are tailored specifically for them,” Molina said.

Delgado, who has served on the City Council since 2020, is also making the case for changes in how the city operates.

“I think this city is ready for a new style of leadership and a new approach to how the city is managed and how it’s operated, specifically when it comes to services that we provide our residents,” Delgado said.

Delgado was one of two councilmembers targeted by a recall effort launched in June amid backlash over the proposed data center project and concerns about city finances.

Gonzalez was among those leading the recall effort. Delgado said she believes the campaign was politically motivated, pointing to the absence of a recall question on the ballot.

“For me that’s testament that it was never about the recall, it was a way of doing dirty campaign,” Delgado said.

Delgado also said she authored a proposal to review industries beyond data centers that could have significant environmental impacts, including businesses that use large amounts of water and energy. She said the policy would also consider how close such industries are to schools.

Delgado said she wants to continue working to improve residents’ quality of life, particularly for working families.

“I work really hard and I give 100 percent to the city,” Delgado said. “I’m known as a hard worker and I dedicate my time to help working families be able to live a good quality life.”

Figueroa and Gonzalez did not respond to News Channel 3’s requests for interviews.

In addition to the mayoral race, five candidates are running for two open seats on the Coachella City Council.

Stay with News Channel 3 for more.