A couple who were on the run for two years have been arrested on suspicion of torturing a seven-year-old to death and sexually abusing and trafficking other children.

Edgar Salvador Casian-Garcia, 34, and his girlfriend, Araceli Medina, 38, had been placed on the US Marshals’ 15 Most Wanted in February, the first time a couple had made the list.

The pair were taken into custody by Mexican officials, the Marshals Service said on Friday, the week prior to being charged in Franklin County, Washington, with aggravated murder, four counts of child rape, and child assault. 

Five of their children, who had been listed as missing and endangered, were rescued during the arrest. The children were returned to the United States and placed in protective custody, the US Marshals said.

Investigators said they believed the couple were abusing and trafficking their children.

Edgar Salvador Casian-Garcia, 34, and his girlfriend, Araceli Medina, 38 had been elevated to the marshals' 15 Most Wanted in February, the first time a couple had made the list

Edgar Salvador Casian-Garcia, 34, and his girlfriend, Araceli Medina, 38 had been elevated to the marshals’ 15 Most Wanted in February, the first time a couple had made the list

Casian-Garcia and Medina were taken into custody last week by Mexican officials, the Marshals Service said, after being charged in Franklin County, Washington, with aggravated murder, four counts of child rape, and child assault. Two of Casian-Garcia's daughters, aged eight and three, were found abandoned in Tijuana, Mexico, in late 2020

Casian-Garcia and Medina were taken into custody last week by Mexican officials, the Marshals Service said, after being charged in Franklin County, Washington, with aggravated murder, four counts of child rape, and child assault. Two of Casian-Garcia’s daughters, aged eight and three, were found abandoned in Tijuana, Mexico, in late 2020

Two of Casian-Garcia’s daughters, aged eight and three, were found abandoned in Tijuana, Mexico, in late 2020. 

The two girls were taken into child protective custody in Mexico, but word of their recovery did not reach their hometown of Pasco, Washington, for another half a year.

‘Both girls showed signs of severe physical and sexual abuse,’ said the US Marshals. ‘Subsequent forensic interviews done with both girls determined that Casian-Garcia and Medina had likely been abusing and sex trafficking the children.’ 

According to police in Pasco, Washington, the remains of the girls' seven-year-old brother were later discovered in early 2022 by hikers in rural Washington. Authorities said they suspect the boy was tortured to death and his body was dumped. The remains were later identified as Casian-Garcia's son, Edgar Jr.

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According to police in Pasco, Washington, the remains of the girls’ seven-year-old brother were later discovered in early 2022 by hikers in rural Washington. Authorities said they suspect the boy was tortured to death and his body was dumped. The remains were later identified as Casian-Garcia’s son, Edgar Jr.

The eight-year-old girl said she survived ‘unimaginable torture’ and rape at her Washington home, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) said. 

According to police in Pasco, Washington, the remains of the girls’ seven-year-old brother were found in early 2022 by hikers in rural Benton County, Washington, about 20 minutes from Casian-Garcia and Medina’s Washington home. Authorities said they suspect the boy was tortured to death and his body was dumped. 

The remains were later identified as Casian-Garcia’s son, Edgar Jr.

‘This is the worst case I’ve come across in nine years as a detective,’ Kennewick, Washington, Det. Jon Davis said in a February 2022 statement. ‘What we’ve seen from this investigation, they have no problem hurting children – to outright murder.’ 

A reward of up to $25,000 had previously been announced for information leading to the pair’s arrest.

‘The advances in technology used by law enforcement, combined with assistance from our federal partners – in this case the US Marshals – were instrumental,’ Pasco Police Chief Ken Roske told CNN, adding that the suspected murder and assaults have been tragic for his community. 

‘I’m thankful the rest of the siblings have been rescued and are safe now.’

The couple crossed the border into Mexico in June 2021, which investigators thought was an attempt to flee after the boy’s death.

The Marshals Service said they might have had five children with them, three of Medina’s children from a previous marriage and two children Casian-Garcia shared with another woman.

John Bischoff, of the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children, said on Friday he was grateful the children had been rescued.

‘The crimes that Araceli Medina and Edgar Casian-Garcia are charged with are heinous,’ he said.

The couple are in custody in Mexico and are expected to be extradited to the US to face criminal proceedings, the center said.

The US Marshals Service announced Friday that the fugitives had been arrested in Mexico.

They were taken into custody the previous week by Mexican officials, the Marshals Service said on Friday, after being charged in Franklin County, Washington, with aggravated murder, four counts of child rape, and child assault.

‘We are so thankful that all five missing children have been rescued safely,’ John Bischoff, vice president of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, said on Friday. ‘The charges against Araceli Medina and Edgar Casian-Garcia are heinous and we commend the unwavering dedication of law enforcement.’

DailyMail

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