Thread: Illegal Couple Murdered, Tortured Toddler

http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2005/06 ... _29_05.txt
Last modified Wednesday, June 29, 2005 11:09 PM PDT

Couple charged with murder, torture in toddler's death

By: TERI FIGUEROA - Staff Writer

VISTA ---- A prosecutor filed murder and torture charges Wednesday against an Escondido mother and her boyfriend for the weekend death of her 2-year-old son ---- a death that allegedly came as the result of torture witnessed by his 5-year-old sister.

Cesar Razo was "one of the most brutalized children we've seen," Deputy District Attorney Lucy Weismantel said Wednesday of the little boy.

Neither defendant in the toddler's alleged slaying entered a plea Wednesday in Superior Court. The judge postponed their arraignment to give investigators time to nail down the age of the mother's boyfriend. He may be as young as 15.

Maria Razo, 23, and Jose Maurice Castenada, who police believed to be 20 years old when they arrested him Saturday, are accused of murdering young Cesar. They also face charges of torturing both he and his 5-year-old sister, and felony child abuse of both children.

Both suffered repeated beatings with belts, cables and cords, as well as attempted strangulations with hangers, Weismantel alleged. She also said the little girl witnessed the attack that led to her baby brother's death.

Neither police nor the prosecutor would say how they believe Cesar was killed, but Weismantel said the toddler possibly suffered from a fractured skill.

Razo, Cesar's mother, appeared to frown heavily as she entered the courtroom in handcuffs. She occasionally sobbed quietly during the proceedings.

Boyfriend Castenada appeared to have little reaction during his short time in front of the judge.

Judge Richard E. Mills agreed to postpone the couple's arraignment after Deputy Public Defender Emily Harmon said Castenada claims he was born in 1989. That would make him either 15 or 16, and thus he could be tried in juvenile court.

On top of the murder charges, Razo and Castenada each face a charge of assault on a child resulting in death.

Weismantel said evidence points to Castenada as the one who killed Cesar; in light of that, prosecutors tacked on a charge of murder by torture.

If convicted of the most serious charges, each of the defendants could face 25 years to life in prison.

Razo and Castenada took the unconscious Cesar to the emergency room Saturday afternoon, and told doctors the toddler had fallen from a swing set, police said.

Escondido police Sgt. Chris Wynn said staffers at Palomar Medical Center called police as soon as they took off the child's clothes and saw "the severity of the injuries."

Cesar had wounds in various stages of healing over most of his little body, police said. He died about 15 minutes after hospital staffers called police.

"In my career, it's the worst I've ever seen on a child," Wynn said of the boy's injuries.

Judge Mills granted Weismantel's bid to have dental impressions ---- bite marks ---- taken from both defendants. Outside of court, Weismantel declined to say what led to the unusual request.

Mills also ordered the couple to give handwriting samples and DNA to investigators, as Weismantel had asked.

Mills ordered the couple held without bail at least until their arraignment. Both also will remain in custody at the request of immigration officials.

Wynn said the father of the two children is believed to live in Mexico.

Wynn also said none of the neighbors of the Razo's apartment, at 2460 Bear Valley Parkway, seemed to know the couple or the two children very well.

There may be others who lived at the Escondido apartment with Razo, Weismantel said, but it is unclear if anyone other than the children, Razo and Castenada were home at the time of the alleged attack on Cesar.

Wynn said the Police Department hopes others will come forward with information on the alleged abuse of the children.

Staff photographer Don Boomer contributed to this report. Contact staff writer Teri Figueroa at (760) 740-3517 or tfigueroa@nctimes.com.

Sickening. So much for family values from south of the border.