Mother Who Dumped Newborn Twin Babies in Alley Finally Caught Through DNA
A mother who secretly gave birth to twin boys and left them to d!e in a rat-infested Bronx alley has finally been arrested, nearly four years later thanks to DNA evidence.
36-year-old Stephanie Castillo was taken into custody on Friday, July 25, and charged with multiple counts of mʋrder and mɑnslaughter after investigators linked her DNA to the newborns’ bodies.
The tragic case dates back to 2020 when NYPD officers found the two dead babies later named Zeke and Zane in Claremont, Bronx. One of the twins had signs of head injury and an umbilical cord wrapped around his neck, while the other was found inside a trash bag with no visible injuries. Both were believed to be less than a day old when they passed.
Castillo, who reportedly kept the pregnancy a secret and lived with her parents at the time, never told anyone she was expecting. Investigators collected DNA from a discarded drink container she threw away, and matched it to blood found at the scene. A genealogy database also linked her to a relative, helping police confirm her identity.
NYPD Assistant Chief Michael Baldassano revealed that officers held funerals and yearly memorials for the babies, saying, “They never stopped caring about this case.”
One man who found the babies’ bodies back in 2020, Renford Cole, 75, said, “I feel relieved. Those were innocent babies. I can finally sleep better knowing justice is coming.”
Castillo was escorted by police back to the alley where her babies were found, bringing one of New York’s most heartbreaking cold cases closer to justice.
