Couple jailed after allegedly shoving children into car trunk
A San Bernardino man and woman are due in court Friday after witnesses say they shoved her children into a car trunk and attempted to drive off from a laundromat last weekend.
Witnesses on Saturday reported seeing Ralph Castillo, 46, shove the children, ages 6 and 7, into the trunk at 245 W. Highland Ave., KTLA-TV reported. Castillo’s girlfriend and mother of the children, 26-year-old Heather Burrows, was allegedly there when the incident occurred around 11:45 a.m.
Witnesses tried to intervene and called police as the couple prepared to drive off with the children in the trunk. Burrows then moved the children to the back seat of the car before leaving the parking lot as Castillo threatened to kill one of the witnesses, police said.
Authorities arrested Castillo later that day at a hotel on Mount Vernon Avenue, where he was with the children. Burrows was arrested at a separate location and faces a probation violation charge. The pair face child abuse charges and were being held in the San Bernardino County jail in lieu of $100,000 bail, KTLA reported.
The children had slight bruising from the incident and were taken into protective custody.
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Twitter: @AliciaDotBanks
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