Marion County AMBER Alert suspect shot, killed after pointing gun at deputies: Officials
Amber Alert suspect dies after deputy-involved shooting
A man accused of abducting a 13-year-old girl during an Amber Alert in Marion County died at a hospital after he was shot by deputies following a pursuit, authorities said.
MARION COUNTY, Fla. - Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods said license plate readers, an alert citizen, and law enforcement officers helped track down a man accused of kidnapping a 13-year-old girl from her home in Ocala on Monday afternoon.
The 13-year-girl was found safe within hours of the AMBER Alert being issued.
The suspect, identified as 45-year-old Jason Castillo, an ex-boyfriend of the girl's mother, was shot by several law enforcement officers and died, officials said.
Bodycam: Suspect pointed gun at deputies moments after PIT maneuver
The Marion County Sheriff's Office released 10 seconds of dashcam video on Tuesday of the PIT maneuver on Castillo and his vehicle.
The video shows deputies block Castillo's vehicle from the font and side. Moments later, the driver, identified as Castillo, appears to point a gun at the front of his windshield and then the side.
Deputies said Castillo's vehicle was located around 5:20 p.m. on U.S. Highway 441, near County Road 25A.
"When deputies attempted to stop the vehicle, the suspect chose to run. Our deputies acted to end that pursuit, and that little girl was rescued and is now safely back home with her family," MCSO said.
Sheriff: AMBER Alert suspect shot by 9 law enforcement officers
Sheriff Woods said eight of his deputies and one Belleview police officer shot Castillo after he positioned himself in a threatening manner.
"Make no apologies. He presented himself in a dangerous manner and they took the appropriate action. So, I want to make something abundantly clear to you criminals. If you want to do any harm to our children in Marion County, I promise you, we will, our resolve will be to find you, hunt you down, and bring you to justice. And if you continue to threaten their life or any one of my deputies, we will ensure you meet your creator," Sheriff Woods said in his video.
Sheriff praises license plate readers, alert citizen for helping find the girl
Sheriff Billy Woods said license plater readers (LPRs) – they're sometimes called "Flock cameras," named after a company that makes them – and an alert citizen helped find Castillo.
"Those cameras helped our investigators identify and track the suspect vehicle. But this case wasn't solved by technology alone.
A citizen saw the AMBER Alert, recognized the vehicle, and did exactly what we hope every member of our community would do. They called 911.
That information allowed our deputies to locate the suspect. When deputies attempted to stop the vehicle, the suspect chose to run. Our deputies acted to end that pursuit, and that little girl was rescued and is now safely back home with her family," Sheriff Billy Woods said in a statement.
When are AMBER Alerts issued?
There are specific requirements that need to be met before an AMBER Alert is issued.
- There is reasonable belief by law enforcement that an abduction has occurred.
- The law enforcement agency believes that the child is in imminent danger of serious bodily injury or death.
- There is enough descriptive information about the victim and the abduction for law enforcement to issue an AMBER Alert to assist in the recovery of the child.
- The abduction is of a child aged 17 years or younger.
- The child’s name and other critical data elements, including the Child Abduction flag, have been entered into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) system.
The Source: Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods shared a video statement on Tuesday morning via the MCSO Facebook page with an update on the AMBER Alert and deputy-involved shooting. MCSO later released a short clip of dashcam video showing the PIT maneuver.