Detective: Lexington woman died after fight with boyfriend. Son led police to body.
When police arrived at their Alexandria Drive duplex about 10 a.m. Feb. 10, Elaine Castillo’s son—a juvenile—told officers that his mother was in a back bedroom, covered in blood, a detective testified Friday.
Castillo and her boyfriend began arguing hours earlier, about 9 p.m. on Feb. 9, Castillo’s son told police.
Castillo, 33, was found dead with lacerations to her hands and major blunt force trauma to her skull, Detective Steven Cobb said in a preliminary hearing in Fayette District Court on Friday. Castillo’s green Ford Expedition was gone, along with her boyfriend, 25-year-old Kevin Velasco-Gomez.
After hearing Cobb’s testimony, Fayette District Judge Megan Lake Thornton sent the case to a grand jury, which will determine if the charges stand in preparation for eventual trial.
Velasco-Gomez was arrested by state police in Franklin the day after the argument, Cobb said, and after an interview with investigators, Velasco-Gomez was charged with murder in Castillo’s death. Cobb said the interview had to be conducted with an interpreter.
Velasco-Gomez said that Castillo “pulled a knife on him,” Cobb testified. The argument started because Castillo caught Velasco-Gomez with another woman and kicked him out of the house, Velasco-Gomez told investigators. He said he remembered Castillo being covered in blood and “knew she was dead,” Cobb testified.
After the argument, Velasco-Gomez packed up his clothes and shut and locked the bedroom door behind him “to protect” Castillo’s son, Cobb testified, based on what Velasco-Gomez told investigators.
Upon searching the apartment, Cobb said investigators collected evidence and questioned witnesses who heard the argument.
Cobb testified that “the murder weapon” was found under a dresser. Cobb didn’t say what the weapon was.
Valasco-Gomez left the scene in Castillo’s green Ford Expedition, and the car was later pulled over at about 6 p.m. in Jeffersonville, Ind., a town across the Ohio River from Louisville.
Cobb said officers there questioned the driver who identified himself as “Diego Velasco.” The officers allowed the car to go but later found it abandoned.
Witnesses later saw Velasco-Gomez in a white van in Simpson County, Cobb testified. When the van — which also held four other people — stopped at a restaurant in Franklin, Kentucky State Police identified and arrested Velasco-Gomez and impounded the van. According to Cobb, Velasco-Gomez initially struggled when three state troopers moved to arrest him.
Velasco-Gomez told investigators that he was headed to Atlanta because he said he had a friend there who could help him, Cobb testified. Velasco-Gomez said he was worried he would be blamed for Castillo’s death.
This story was originally published March 6, 2020 at 3:23 PM.