AG Balderas and Fifth DA Luce Prevail in Joint Motion to Detain Alleged First-Degree Murderer Until Trial

For Immediate Release:
September 24, 2019
Contact: Matt Baca — (505) 270-7148

ALBUQUERQUE, NM — Today, Attorney General Hector Balderas and District Attorney
Diana Luce announced that Castulo Michael Aragon, who has been indicted for the
alleged first-degree murder of Roswell resident Maria Elina Aragon, will remain
incarcerated until his trial. The State alleges that in March 2017 Castulo Aragon
murdered his wife Maria Aragon, a deaf and hearing specialist with the Roswell
Independent School District for many years, and subsequently dumped her body off the
side of a road southeast of Vaughn.
“Domestic-violence cases are a top prosecution priority for my office,” said Attorney
General Balderas. “My office intends to seek justice for Maria Elina Aragon and her
surviving family members and friends. I appreciate Judge Hunter agreeing with the State
in this matter that no release conditions will reasonably protect the safety of any other
person or the community from Aragon.”
“As District Attorney, my office is fighting for justice for Maria Aragon and I appreciate
Attorney General Balderas joining the Fifth to prosecute this case,” said District Attorney
Luce.
State prosecutors today asked Judge Dustin Hunter to keep Aragon in jail until trial in this
matter on the grounds that his potential release endangered the community. After
prosecutors presented live-witness testimony, including testimony from Aragon’s ex-wife
as well as a former girlfriend about how Aragon physically battered his ex-wife and
threatened his ex-girlfriend during their relationships, Judge Hunter granted the State’s
request.
Aragon will remain incarcerated until trial in this case, which is set to begin March 23,
2020. Prosecutors from the Special Prosecutions Division of the Office of the Attorney
General are handling the case in union with Fifth Judicial District Attorney Dianna Luce.