http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/news/local/c ... 184539.htm


Son's arrest shocks fatherBy BILL MILLER
STAR-TELEGRAM STAFF WRITER

JOSE CASTRO
DALLAS -- The father of a man charged in the random slaying of a north Dallas office worker said Wednesday that he was confused and saddened by the accusation against his son.

Acting on a tip, police arrested Jose Castro, 24, at his family's northwest Dallas home late Tuesday. He was in a Dallas County jail early Wednesday on a charge of capital murder with bail set at $750,000. Police said he is also wanted on immigration charges.

Karen LaFon, 51, of Garland was shot repeatedly about 5:20 p.m. Monday as she walked to her car after work.

Jose Castro's father, Heriberto Castro, said he was shocked when he saw an image taken by a surveillance camera of a man believed to be his son riding elevators for about eight minutes before following LaFon to the parking lot.

The images were released Tuesday and led to the tip that resulted in Jose Castro's arrest, police said.

Heriberto Castro said his son recently graduated from a computer training program at a local technical school and planned to take more classes early next year at a downtown Dallas campus. He said his son worked for a company that prepares income tax returns.

"We feel bad about all this that happened," the father said. "I don't know what happened with him."

Public records show that Jose Castro was serving 10 years' probation after receiving deferred adjudication in a 2005 aggravated robbery case in Richardson.

LaFon, the mother of two adult sons, was a manager for the Texas Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services, a state agency for people with disabilities.

Investigators believe that LaFon was targeted because she was carrying bags, said Senior Cpl. Donna Hernandez, a Dallas police spokeswoman. The killer did not take any of the items, she said.


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Bill Miller, 817-390-7684 wmiller@star-telegram.com


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Police said he is also wanted on immigration charges
It is amazing to me how small of a mention this is - and that he was serving 10 years probation yet still had immigration issues??