Latisha Berkley, a security guard at the cemetery, kneels and prays at the tombstone of Anjelica "Baby Hope" Castillo in the Bronx borough of New York, October 13, 2013.
Reactions to the Friday arrest for the 22-year old ‘Baby Hope’ murder in New York have ranged from euphoria to puzzlement. Former NYPD Detective Jerry Giorgio who was originally in charge of the case, claimed that he was “on cloud nine.” Others asked themselves how the murdered girl’s family could have kept quiet for so long.
Law enforcement officials revealed to the New York Times that Anjelica Castillo, which was Baby Hope’s real name, was living with relatives at the time when she was killed. It is believed that these relatives refrained from reporting her disappearance because of their illegal status in the U.S. Castillo’s mother was kept unaware until four years later.
Charged with Castillo’s murder, her cousin Conrado Juarez has pleaded not guilty, claiming that law officials extracted his confession under improper circumstances.