Washington couple accused of killing 7-yr-old son and abusing their other children are arrested after 3-yr manhunt
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PASCO, WASHINTON: Araceli Medina and Edgar Salvador Casian-Garcia, a couple wanted for alleged murder and rape, were arrested on Friday, March 31 in Mexico, according to authorities. They had been evading capture since 2020 and are now being held in a Mexican prison pending extradition to the US.
The girls—originally from Pasco, Washington—were severely physically and sexually abused, according to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC). The sisters, 8-year-old and 3-year-old, were placed in child protective custody. The girls were brought to the attention of Washington-based investigators six months after their discovery in Mexico.
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How did the couple end up on the 'Most Wanted' list?
Police determined the abused sisters also had a brother named Edgar Jr Casian-Garcia as soon as they identified the family name. The 7-year-old was missing when investigators went to the family's apartment, but Casian-Garcia and Medina allegedly claimed that the boy was staying with his two sisters and their biological mother in California.
When detectives discovered that Medina and Casian-Garcia were lying, it was already too late because the pair had fled to Mexico with Medina's four biological children and their infant son. Edgar J. was immediately the focus of a search by the NCMEC and the US Marshals Service, along with the other five children the couple had fled with.
Detectives believed that the couple was thought to have either remained in Mexico or eventually travelled to Canada. In February 2022, hikers discovered human remains, roughly 15 minutes from the couple's Washington home. Dental records revealed that the remains belonged to Edgar Jr, according to Law & Crime.
The United States Marshal Service added the couple to its 'Top 15 Most Wanted' list following the deadly discovery in mid-February, marking the first time a couple had ever been included on that particular list. The US Marshals 15 Most Wanted program claims to "draw attention to some of the country’s most dangerous and high-profile fugitives," according to Law&Crime.
Did it help to have the couple's name on the 'Most Wanted' list?
The decision to include Medina and Casian-Garcia on the list turned out to be an useful one. On Friday, March 31 in Mexico, the couple was placed under arrest. The five children in their care were rescued and are currently safe, according to the authorities. The two have been formally charged in Washington of killing a child and engaging in several acts of child sex abuse.
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