On the evening of January 12, 2025, a burst of violence shattered the quiet of a Lakewood, Colorado neighborhood, leaving a young woman's life tragically cut short. Nairelis “Junior” Castel, a 26-year-old female, was found suffering from a gunshot wound in the 1400 block of Kendall Street, just a block from the iconic Casa Bonita restaurant. First responders rushed to the scene around 8:00 p.m.
and transported her to a nearby hospital, but her injuries proved to be fatal.
The investigation into her death quickly led Lakewood police to identify two suspects who, it was determined, were acquainted with Castel. Within days, authorities made their first arrest. Flor Contreras, a 25-year-old woman, was taken into custody on Friday, January 17, on suspicion of complicity to commit first-degree murder. According to her social media profile, Contreras is from Venezuela, though police have stated the shooting does not appear to be related to Venezuelan gang activity.
The second suspect, 27-year-old Menelson Leonel Ramirez of Aurora, fled Colorado following the shooting. A warrant was issued for his arrest on suspicion of first-degree murder. His time as a fugitive was short-lived, however, as he was located and apprehended in Megargel, Texas. Ramirez is currently awaiting extradition back to Colorado to face charges in connection with Castel's death. While investigators have established that the victim and the alleged perpetrators knew one another, a clear motive for the fatal shooting has not yet been determined or publicly released.
