Sandra Del Carmen Polanco, a 54-year-old resident of Whittier, California, tragically lost her life on September 12, 2017. Born on December 22, 1962, in Santa Ana, El Salvador, Polanco was found deceased in her apartment on Floral Drive. The Whittier police responded to a call at approximately 7:30 a.m. and discovered Polanco unresponsive on her living room couch with a gunshot wound to the head.
She was pronounced dead at the scene.
The investigation quickly identified Rafael Ayala Castillo, Polanco's boyfriend of over ten years, as a person of interest. Castillo, a 58-year-old Latino, lived with Polanco in the same apartment where her body was found. On the night of September 12, 2017, Castillo was arrested on suspicion of murder. Witnesses testified that the couple had been experiencing relationship problems leading up to the incident.
In November 2018, a jury found Castillo guilty of first-degree murder, with special allegations that he intentionally shot Polanco. The court proceedings revealed that Castillo had shot Polanco in the head, leading to her immediate death. In January 2019, Castillo was sentenced to 50 years to life in prison for the murder of Sandra Del Carmen Polanco. The case highlighted the tragic consequences of domestic disputes and brought some closure to Polanco's family and friends.
