By: Richard L. Smith
A fugitive wanted in connection with a fatal stabbing that took place in Plainfield in 2003 has been located and apprehended in Guatemala, Union County Prosecutor William A. Daniel and Plainfield Police Director James T. Abney announced today.
Union County officials said members of the U.S. Marshals Service took Mr. Fausto Ramiro Santos Carillo, 56, of Plainfield into custody in Guatemala on March 21, 2022, where he was held prior to him being extradited back to New Jersey in the pre-dawn hours this morning.
Official said he is charged with first-degree murder, third-degree and fourth-degree weapons offenses in connection with the death of 49-year-old Martha Morales.
According to Union County officials, on July 23, 2003, members of the Plainfield Police Department responded to the 600 block of East Third Street and found Morales inside an apartment she shared with Fausto Carillo.Morales had sustained multiple fatal stab wounds.
Following the murder, Fausto Carillo fled the area.
In February of 2018, the Union County Prosecutor’s Office Homicide Task Force received information concerning Fausto Carillo’s potential whereabouts, which in turn led to his apprehension in Guatemala City, Guatemala.
“I want to commend the fortitude and dedication exhibited by the investigators who have worked tirelessly on this case these past several years, during a time that presented so many other unique challenges,” Prosecutor Daniel said.
“Thanks to their efforts, we have moved closer to bringing Fausto Carillo to justice for his role in the murder of Ms. Morales.”
“Fausto Carillo chose to avoid capture by hiding abroad.
He believed distance was his sanctuary, “said Juan Mattos, U.S. Marshal for the District of New Jersey.
“The U.S. Marshals Service has an extended reach and partnerships throughout the world.
Thanks to the steadfast commitment of the Union County Prosecutor’s Office Homicide Task Force, U.S. Marshals, and our law enforcement partners throughout Central America, capturing this most wanted fugitive has brought us one step closer to justice and closure for the victim and their family.”
Convictions on criminal charges of this nature are commonly punishable by terms of up to life in state prison.
These criminal charges are mere accusations. Every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.