Angel Castillo, a 17-year-old resident of Santa Barbara, California, tragically lost his life on January 3, 2021. The incident occurred just after sunset, one day before he was scheduled to resume classes at Santa Barbara High School. Angel was shot in the back by an unknown assailant at the corner of Liberty and Canada streets on Santa Barbara’s lower Eastside. The shooting also claimed the life of 18-year-old Omar Montiel-Hernandez and left two other teens injured. The police initially characterized the incident as gang-related, although Angel's mother, Rita Castillo, vehemently denied that her son was involved in any gang activities. She emphasized that while Angel had faced some challenges and gotten into trouble like many teenagers, he was not affiliated with any gang.
Angel was described as a calm, sweet, and shy individual who had a bright future ahead of him. He had recently been hired at an auto body shop run by his great-uncle and was excited about starting his new job. Despite struggling with learning challenges, Angel was pulling straight A’s at school and was looking forward to his future. His death left his family and community devastated, with his mother seeking to set the record straight about his character and the circumstances surrounding his death.
In the aftermath of the shooting, the Santa Barbara police conducted an extensive investigation that led to the arrest of three suspects in April 2021. One of the suspects was identified as Angel Varela, 26, of Carpinteria. Later, in January 2022, Varela's girlfriend, Jasmine Ochoa, was also arrested. She was charged with being an accessory to murder and criminal street terrorism, as she had allegedly aided, assisted, and harbored Varela after the murders. The police found evidence related to the murders during a search of her home. Both Varela and Ochoa were held without bail as the investigation continued.
The case against the suspects progressed, with two men eventually facing trial for the double murder of Angel Castillo and Omar Montiel-Hernandez. The arrests and subsequent legal proceedings brought some measure of justice to the grieving families, although the pain of losing their loved ones remained. The community of Santa Barbara was left grappling with the impact of the violence and the loss of two young lives.
