A 13-year-old girl who was abducted from her home is safely back with her family after an Amber Alert, a citizen’s 911 call, and a pursuit that ended in a deputy-involved shooting Monday evening on U.S. Highway 441 in Belleview.
Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods said deputies immediately began searching for the child after the abduction was reported, quickly securing an Amber Alert and using every available resource to locate the suspect before time ran out.
Investigators tracked the suspect vehicle with the Sheriff’s Office’s License Plate Reader camera system, but Woods said the break in the case came when a citizen recognized the vehicle from the Amber Alert and called 911.
That tip led deputies to the suspect. When they attempted a traffic stop, the driver fled. Deputies used a Precision Immobilization Technique (P.I.T.) maneuver to disable the vehicle on U.S. Highway 441 near County Road 25A.
As deputies moved in to take the suspect into custody, shots were fired.
Sheriff Woods said eight Marion County Sheriff’s Office deputies and one Belleview police officer discharged their weapons during the encounter. The suspect, identified as Jason Castillo, was transported to a local hospital and later pronounced dead. No law enforcement officers or the abducted child were injured.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is conducting the investigation into the deputy-involved shooting, which is standard procedure.
Woods praised the deputies for refusing to give up until the child was safely recovered.
“When that little girl needed them, they answered the call,” Woods said. “They worked every lead, used every tool available, and they didn’t quit until she was safe.”
He also thanked the citizen who reported seeing the suspect vehicle, calling the phone call a critical piece of the rescue.
“This little girl is home tonight because my deputies did their job, our License Plate Reader cameras did exactly what they’re designed to do, and one citizen took the time to make a phone call,” Woods said.
Woods ended with a pointed warning to anyone who would target children in Marion County.
“I want to make something clear to you criminals. If you want to do any harm to children, we will find you, hunt you down, and bring you to justice,” Woods said.
The investigation into the deputy-involved shooting remains ongoing, and additional information is expected to be released as it becomes available.
