Mother Who Killed Newborn Twin Sons and Dumped Them in Bronx Alley Caught After Four Years Through DNA

A woman who killed her newborn twin sons and abandoned their bodies in a rat-infested Bronx alley has been arrested nearly four years later, thanks to DNA evidence.

Stephanie Castillo, 36, was taken into custody on Friday, July 25, and charged with multiple counts of first- and second-degree murder, manslaughter, and murder with intent in connection with the deaths of her infant sons, Zeke and Zane.

The twins were discovered dead in November 2020 in Claremont, a Bronx neighborhood, sparking a years-long investigation by NYPD detectives who never gave up on the case. The babies were named by officers after their bodies were found just 20 feet apart—one partially wrapped in a pet training pad with visible head trauma and an umbilical cord around his neck, the other stuffed in a black plastic bag with no visible injuries. Both were believed to be less than a day old.

Castillo had reportedly kept the pregnancy secret and was living with her parents at the time. Investigators say her blood was found at the scene, and a hit on a genealogical DNA database eventually led them to one of her relatives. Later, detectives collected a discarded drink container from Castillo and confirmed the match.

“She didn’t tell anyone she was pregnant,” a source told the New York Post. “But the forensic evidence never stopped speaking.”

NYPD Assistant Chief Michael Baldassano said detectives held annual memorials for the twins and arranged a funeral in 2021, where the boys were laid to rest in a single white casket adorned with white flowers and a blue ribbon.

“Our detectives had the funeral for these two children. Every year they held a memorial. They never stopped caring about this case,” Baldassano said.

On Friday, police walked Castillo from the 44th Precinct back to the alley where the children were found, a symbolic moment of closure for the community and investigators alike.

Renford Cole, the 75-year-old man who discovered the bodies, told reporters he was relieved to hear of the arrest.

“Oh man. This is really a big burden lifted off my mind, a big weight,” he said. “Those were babies—innocent babies. I’m going to sleep better tonight.”

Police say a mix of interviews, surveillance footage, and the tireless work of the forensic investigation division helped finally bring justice to Zeke and Zane.