Unwed Mother, 18, Slain; Boyfriend, 16, Arrested

An 18-year-old woman living with her 2-month-old son at a Salvation Army home for unwed mothers in Montecito Heights was stabbed to death near the grounds of the home, and police arrested the infant’s 16-year-old father for suspicion of murder.

Dixie Castillo, 18, was found slain in bushes near the Booth Memorial Maternity Home shortly after 8 p.m. Monday by a security guard, police said. Her son was found next to her with cuts on his scalp that he apparently received when he fell from his mother’s arms during the attack.

Police had no motive for the crime. They said the woman’s boyfriend, whose name was not released because of his age, called for Castillo at 6 p.m. Monday, and the young woman left with her boyfriend and baby for a walk.

Castillo, who lives in the area, had been a resident of the home for more than a month and had been enrolled in the facility’s high school since November of last year, said Art Stillwell, director of the Salvation Army’s social services.

“She was a super person who was handling her problems and her baby very well,” Stillwell said. “But I don’t think we could have prevented it, even if we had had 100 security guards around here because it seems to have happened way out on the sidewalk.”

Castillo’s boyfriend was being held at Los Angeles Juvenile Hall.

The infant, who was treated at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center, was listed in stable condition and was being held for observation.