And from that mother and son lost in a flash from a major impact, to a mother and daughter viciously stabbed to death by her common-law husband. 28-year-old Bryan Castillo is on the run after he murdered 33-year-old Jennifer Archila and 12-year-old Nitzia Catzim. It is a tragedy that has the family of the mother and daughter devastated.
And on the other hand, the family of Castillo's 7-year-old son, Darwin Castillo, is also concerned since Castillo took him when he fled the scene and his whereabouts are unknown.
Courtney Menzies travelled west to get some answers on this latest double murder. Here is that story.
An innocent 12-year-old girl and her mother were slaughtered in their San Ignacio home last night. The child, Nitzia Catzim, and 33-year-old Jennifer Archila were both fatally stabbed by Archila's common-law husband, 28-year-old Bryan Castillo.
Their neighbor at their apartment building told their landlord that she saw Castillo just before he fled the scene.
Manuel Garcia, Landlord
"She said she heard something, she came out of the door and the man came out of his door and she asked what happened, nothing, everything cool, the man say. She say after 2 minutes she heard the motorcycle start, I heard the motorcycle too, I say where this man going, 2 minutes to 9. She say the door is open, she walked through the door, see everything and call me."
"I call police, they said nobody go close to the door. The police come, they asked us questions, who do it. The man gone on motorcycle, they went to see if they could catch the man then they come back again to take the little girl because the little girl was still alive and then take them to hospital."
But little Nitzia didn't make it and the last time Garcia spoke to her was when she delivered a plate of food to him and his wife. And today, her teachers gathered at her family's home. Her mother's aunt told us that it's hard for them to come to terms with the child's death.
Voice of: Martha Alicia Ralda, Aunt of Deceased
"I was in contact with the father of the child. I fight for my kids and I told him to fight for his one. I never wanted a stepfather for them because the stepfather doesn't want kids that's not for him."
"She was a happy girl, educated, she wanted to continue her education. My nephew had her in the house and he used to teach her standard six studies."
"We as the family, we are heartbroken, especially for the 12 year old girl. And it's hard and for me it's really hard to see those two persons killed. I heard that she already had threats before."
But today the police told the media that they will have to do some research to verify if the couple had a history of domestic violence.
ASP Fitzroy Yearwood - Communications Officer
"The daughter, Nitzia Catzim, was seen with a large cut wound to her throat, the 12-year-old daughter. The mother also had a large cut wound and other stabs to the body. So, the initial investigation revealed that she was in an argument with her common-law husband, Brian Jerry Castillo, [for] whom we have issued a wanted poster for - where Castillo inflicted these injuries both females and after injuring them, Castillo picked up his 7-year-old son and left the scene on a motorbike. Officers have interviewed several neighbors, and now, we are searching for Mr. Castillo, as he is now wanted for this double murder. The knife was retrieved from the scene in some nearby bushes."
Reporter
"Is there any background information on the relationship, any suggestions of a conflict prior to this, maybe before that?"
ASP Fitzroy Yearwood
"This one particular event that cost both these females their lives is a harsh, dramatic, drastic act of domestic violence, and whether or not the mother, Jennifer may have made any reports in the past, I'll have to get back to you on that because, like you rightfully said, it's not normal for domestic violence to up to reach these levels on the first occasion. So we are doing a background check."
But the family of Castillo's 7-year-old son, Darwin, is concerned about the child's wellbeing. They have posted on Facebook that Darwin was in his mother's custody up until two weeks ago when she allowed his father to see him. Now, they are pleading with the public to be on the lookout for either of them.
Police believe that Castillo fled towards Benque Viejo Town.
