Man arrested in Turlock on suspicion of poisoning ex-girlfriend
Turlock police on Thursday arrested a man on suspicion of poisoning his ex-girlfriend.
The victim called police around 1 a.m. to report that a man she’d dated for about a year and recently broke up with had put rat poisoning in her food, makeup and marijuana, according to Turlock Police Department spokeswoman Dominique Sanchez.
The victim had arrived at her West Monte Vista Avenue apartment earlier in the evening to find the suspect inside her home. He fled but she later called to confront him, Sanchez said. That is when the suspect allegedly admitted to the victim that he had poisoned her.
“He changed his mind and told her, ‘You should probably go to the hospital,’” Sanchez said. The suspect then drove back to the victim’s apartment and gave her a ride to the hospital.
Sanchez said the victim had ingested some of the poison but she didn’t know how much or by what source. She was treated at the hospital and is expected to make a full recovery.
Turlock police located the suspect walking in the area of West Monte Vista and Dels Lane around 2:15 a.m. They later found his abandoned vehicle, which had rat poison inside, Sanchez said.
Eric Jimenez Castillo, 23, was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, intentionally poisoning a food, drink, medicine or water supply, and burglary.
He had not been formally charged by the District Attorney’s Office as of Thursday afternoon and remained in jail with a bail of $580,000.
This story was originally published August 24, 2023 at 2:49 PM.
