Stephanie Castillo, 36, of Bronx, New York City, New York, United States is now in jail. She is accused of killing her twin children in 2020.
On July 25, 2025, New York City Police Department arrested Castillo at a shelter in the Bronx with the help of Homeland Security Investigations agents. She was charged with first-degree murder, second-degree murder, murder with intent and manslaughter.
Stephanie Castillo
Months after the new coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic started in 2020, Castillo got pregnant but she never told anyone about it. At the time, she was living with her parents in the College Avenue building in Claremont, Bronx.
After giving birth to twin boys, Castillo allegedly dumped the infants like garbage in a vermin-filled alley around 20 feet away from each other. The boys, who were full term, were less than 24 hours old when they died.
It was Renford Cole, now 75, who found the boys on November 9, 2020. He was the e superintendent of the College Avenue building.
One of the boys was found in a janitorial work area on the side of the building. He had apparent head trauma, he was partially covered in a pet training pad and his umbilical cord wrapped around his neck.
The other boy was found in the back of the building. He had no visible injuries and he was bound in a black plastic bag.
Emergency responders rushed the boys to Bronx Lebanon Hospital Center in the Bronx. At around 2:00 p.m. that day, both infants were pronounced dead.
In honor of the twin boys, a funeral was arranged by the NYPD on September 25, 2021 at Eternity Funeral Service in Williamsbridge, The Bronx. It was attended by around 20 officers, mostly detectives, and residents of the neighborhood.
The NYPD named the boys Zane, which means God’s gift, and Zeke, which is short for Ezekiel, which means God’s strength. Detectives from the department checked hospitals not only in New York but also in other U.S. states including New Jersey and Pennsylvania to search for the mother of the twins.
Meanwhile, from the College Avenue building, Castillo moved to a nearby shelter. Before her arrest, investigators collected a drink container that she had thrown away and used it to extract her deoxyribonucleic acid. It matched with Zeke and Zane’s DNA and her blood yielded a hit on a genealogical DNA database from one of her relatives.
CONAN Daily 