Community
Ventura County Crime Stoppers will pay up to $1,000 reward for information, which leads to the arrest and criminal complaint against the person(s) responsible for this crime. The caller may remain anonymous. The call is not recorded. Call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS (8477).
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Homicide Investigation
| Nature of Incident: | Homicide Investigation | ||||
| Report Number: | 26-41570 | ||||
| Location: | Santa Clara River Bottom in Fillmore | ||||
| Date & Time: | 04/02/2026 @ 1:38 p.m. | ||||
| Unit(s) Responsible: | Major Crimes Bureau Fillmore Detective Bureau Fillmore Patrol Homeless Liaison Unit Crime Scene Investigations Unit Ventura County Fire Department Ventura County Medical Examiner’s Office |
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| (S)uspects, (V)ictims, (P)arty, (D)ecedent | City of Residence | Age | |||
| (V) Eduardo Castro | Fillmore | 43 | |||
| Narrative: | |||||
| An adult male subject, identified as Eduardo Castro, was found deceased in the flowing water of the Santa Clara River, just south of the A Street bridge, in the unincorporated area of Fillmore. On 04/02/2026, at approximately 1:38 p.m., patrol units from the Fillmore Police Department responded to a call of a human body found in the flowing water of the Santa Clara River, just south of the A Street Bridge in Fillmore. The body was partially submerged and was caught up in foliage located near the center of the swift flowing water. The Ventura County Fire Department arrived, pulled the body of an adult male ashore, and pronounced the male deceased. Suspicious injuries were located on the male’s body which indicated that he may have been the victim of an assault. The man was positively identified as local unhoused resident, Eduardo Castro. Investigators from the Fillmore Police Department and Major Crimes Bureau responded and Castro’s death is being investigated as a homicide. The Major Crimes Bureau assumed lead in the investigation. Sheriff’s Major Crimes is actively investigating this incident. Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Sergeant Bill Meixner at (805) 384-4727. At this time, this appears to be an isolated incident, with no on-going threat to the public. |
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| Prepared by: | Sergeant Bill Meixner | ||||
| News Release Date: | 04/03/2026 | ||||
| Media Follow-Up Contact: | [email protected] (805)384-4727 |
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| Approved by: Booking Photo Release: |
Captain Victor Medina YES NO |
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Ventura County Crime Stoppers will pay up to $1,000 reward for information, which leads to the arrest and criminal complaint against the person(s) responsible for this crime. The caller may remain anonymous. The call is not recorded. Call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS (8477).
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Address/Location
Ventura County Sheriff's Office
800 S Victoria Ave
Ventura, CA 93003
Contact
Emergency: 9-1-1
Non-emergencies: 805-654-9511