Authorities have flown 44-year-old Jose Castellon Jimenez back to Palm Beach County, where he now faces a murder charge in the 2023 death of Eullaia Castellon. Jimenez was extradited from El Salvador and booked into the Palm Beach County jail on Wednesday, May 13, 2026. He is scheduled for his first court appearance on Thursday, May 14, 2026.
According to WPBF, the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office opened the case on October 22, 2023, after receiving a missing adult report. Investigators later found a parked vehicle at the Lake Worth Tri‑Rail station and discovered the victim inside. Detectives identified Jimenez as the primary suspect and say he left the United States the same day the killing occurred.
How Salvadoran Authorities Tracked and Captured Him
Salvadoran media reported that the Policía Nacional Civil arrested José Leonel Castellón Jiménez in the San Miguel department on April 25, 2024, following a Red Notice issued by INTERPOL, according to Radio YSKL. Those reports state that the PNC publicized the capture on social media and note that the victim’s body had been found in a vehicle tied to the suspect.
Extradition and Booking
International cooperation through Interpol and formal extradition procedures led to Jimenez’s return to the United States this week. WPBF reports that he has been booked into the Palm Beach County jail on a murder charge. What began as a missing-person call in October 2023 quickly escalated once deputies located the vehicle at the Tri‑Rail station and connected it to the homicide investigation.
Legal Process and Next Steps
Jimenez is expected to appear in Palm Beach County court on May 14, 2026. The Office of the State Attorney for the 15th Judicial Circuit will oversee the prosecution, consistent with the county’s jurisdictional structure outlined on the state attorney’s site. After his initial appearance and arraignment, prosecutors will decide how to proceed with formal charging documents as the case moves through the court system.
What This Means Locally
The case, centered on a body found at the Lake Worth Tri‑Rail station and a suspect who authorities say fled the country, has underscored ongoing concerns about domestic-violence-related homicides in Palm Beach County. Local public-safety reports note that county agencies use victim-services teams and specialized investigative units to handle homicides and related domestic‑violence cases as part of a broader criminal-justice response.
Anyone with information connected to this case is asked to contact the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office tip line at (561) 688-3000 or use the agency’s online reporting tools, as described on the sheriff’s site. Jimenez is currently being held at the Palm Beach County Main Detention Center at 3228 Gun Club Road in West Palm Beach while court proceedings get underway.
