Texas man arrested for allegedly dismembering woman while still alive in ‘gruesome’ killing

SAN ANTONIO, Texas – A man has been arrested in connection with the “gruesome” slaying and dismemberment of a San Antonio woman, ABC affiliate KSAT reported Thursday.

Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar said Rafael Castillo, 26, was arrested in Brownsville, Texas on Wednesday and is a suspect in the murder of Nicole Perry.

On Nov. 19, work crews found Perry’s body wrapped in a tarp while cleaning an area well known for dumping, Salzar said.

Salazar said investigators followed leads and ended up at a home on West Harlan Avenue in San Antonio, where a “gruesome picture” began to unravel.

According to Salazar, Castillo and Perry had a disagreement that ended with Castillo attacking and killing her with an ax or hatchet at the home.

“The suspect said he wanted to ‘make an example of her.’ That’s a direct quote,” Salazar said.

Salazar said Perry, 31, was partially dismembered while she was still alive. Investigators are still searching for body parts. The Sheriff’s Office is not ruling out that other people may have been involved in the murder or disposal of Perry’s body.

An affidavit in the case indicates that at least two witnesses stated they overheard that Castillo killed Perry in front of her fiancé. These individuals were released after questioning, officers said.

The woman’s fiance, who was later arrested for violation of his sex offender registration, told authorities that he and Perry were homeless and were offered a place to stay at the house on Harlan.

He said Perry “had lost her father” earlier in the year “and was not the same after,” which caused her to have frequent outbursts, the affidavit states.

He added the outbursts “quickly began to annoy Rafael.” At some point, Castillo told Perry to “shut up before he shut her up,” investigators said.

The fiance told authorities that he was “forced to clean up the scene under duress and he was scared for his life.”

Another man who lived in the house on Harlan stated he walked into a room to find the woman with an ax sticking out of her head and Castillo standing over her while cleaning his hands, authorities said. Castillo told that man that he killed her because she “disrespected” his name, according to the document.

A witness said they were called to the house to help dispose of a “large package,” which they later discovered was Perry’s body.

When they returned to the home, the same man who walked in on the slaying gave the witness a crockpot, saying “you forgot these.” Inside the crockpot, investigators say, were human hands with painted fingernails.

Castillo was arrested with assistance from the Lone Star Fugitive Task Force. He is facing a murder charge, according to Salazar.

His bond was set at $500,000, booking records show.