A man who cut off his ankle monitor shortly before his murder trial was set to begin last fall is back in custody after a U.S. Marshals raid.
Giovanni Ornelas is accused of shooting and killing Airman Albert Castillo, Jr. while he was home on leave back in 2021. Prosecutors allege that Ornelas had a beef with Castillo’s father, Albert Sr., and drove by the elder Castillo’s home when family members were outside, opening fire.
In September 2024, Ornelas disappeared just days before his scheduled trial. On Tuesday, he was arrested about a mile from where the shooting occurred.
Neighbors noticed a heavy law enforcement presence at 7:30 a.m. on the 4700 block of Polk. Sources tell ABC13 that Ornelas was with his girlfriend at her mother’s house. Video obtained by ABC13 shows both U.S. Marshals and DPS officials on site.
“I’m happy and sad,” Lilly Castillo, Albert Castillo Jr.’s sister, said. “I mean, nothing’s going to bring my brother back, but at least the peace, my brother’s able to rest in peace.”