A California deputy was being investigated Thursday after sending away a murder suspect who was trying to surrender – the latest black mark for the troubled jail in Santa Clara County that will be reviewed by a new commission over an in-custody death.
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The assistant could not find any outstanding warrants or records for Castro, who then asked to speak to a correctional deputy privately, the statement said.
He even handed over a note disclosing the location of the body. Sources familiar with the incident say the deputy told Castro a homicide in San Jose was not in the sheriff’s jurisdiction and directed him elsewhere.
Castro followed instructions and reported the body.
When police went to the location Castro gave, Barlas was pronounced dead at the scene, with several stab wounds visible on her front torso, according to The San Jose Mercury news. The correctional deputy involved in this incident has been reassigned pending a full investigation.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is helping the sheriff’s office probe the jail, which has been the subject of almost 100 complaints following the August arrest of three deputies accused of beating an inmate to death.
But instead, he was referred to the San Jose police station where he was taken into custody after providing a statement. He was arrested and charged with murder. He is now being held without bail until a court hearing on November 16.
The Sheriff’s Office maintains that at no point during the exchange did Castro mention he was responsible for that dead body.
Earlier this month, two other deputies were arrested – one for allegedly using a Criminal Justice Information Control database to access information on people he had personal relationships with, and the other on suspicion of committing worker’s compensation fraud. He walked over to police headquarters where he was taken into custody, according to Newser.
Barlas, a San Jose State University alum, was pronounced dead at the scene. Neither Castro nor the victim, whose identity was not immediately released, lived at the condo unit.
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Authorities visited the address Castro supplied, and found Barlas’ body. Police did not disclose a motive for the killing, the city’s 25th homicide of the year. Deputy District Attorney David Boyd said that crime would factor into Castro’s sentence if he is convicted in Barlas’ death.
