Fugitive couple arrested in Mexico; 5 missing children recovered

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(CNN) – A Washington state couple, who were on the U.S. Marshals Service’s top 15 Most Wanted fugitives list, have been arrested in Mexico.

According to the U.S. Marshals, 34-year-old Edgar Salvador Casian-Garcia and his girlfriend, 38-year-old Araceli Medina, were taken into custody last week. The couple are charged with aggravated murder, four counts of child rape and child assault.

The criminal charges come after two of Casian-Garcia’s daughters, ages 3 and 8, were found abandoned in Tijuana in late 2020. Authorities believe the couple were sex trafficking the girls, as both showed signs of severe physical and sexual abuse.

The body of the girls’ 7-year-old brother, who authorities say was likely tortured to death, was found in rural Washington in early 2022.

Five children were with the couple when they were arrested. All of them had been listed as missing and endangered. They’ve been returned to the U.S. and placed in protective custody.

The couple remain in Mexico pending extradition to the U.S.

U.S. Marshals believe they fled the country after learning they would face charges.

Source: CNN