(NEW YORK) — The U.S. Marshals Service on Friday caught a Washington state couple who was on the run after they allegedly murdered and sexually abused a child.
Edgar Salvador Casian-Garcia, 34, and his girlfriend, Araceli Medina, 38, were wanted on a warrant out of Washington and that’s when they fled, according to authorities.
The duo also fled with their five children, which spawned an international manhunt that led authorities to Mexico, the U.S. Marshals Service said.
The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) teamed up with the Marshals to help search for the five missing children, who have been returned to the U.S. and placed in protective custody, according to the release from the agency.
The Marshals had elevated the couple to the 15 most wanted in the U.S. list on Feb. 15.
“We are so thankful that all five missing children have been rescued safely,” said John Bischoff, who oversees the Missing Children Division at NCMEC.
“The crimes that Araceli Medina and Edgar Casian-Garcia are charged with are heinous and we commend the unwavering dedication of law enforcement,” Bischoff said. “This successful rescue is a testament to the critical importance of collaboration and community involvement in safeguarding our most vulnerable population.”
U.S. Marshals in the Eastern District of Washington had developed information that placed the fugitive couple in Mexico.
Medina and Casian-Garcia remain in the custody of authorities in Mexico pending extradition proceedings. They didn’t immediately have a lawyer or lawyers listed for them.
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