A jury convicted a Whittier man on Tuesday, Nov. 13, for fatally shooting his girlfriend in the head last year.
In addition to finding 57-year-old Rafael Ayala Castillo guilty of first-degree murder, jurors also found true the special allegation that he personally and intentionally discharged a firearm, which caused great bodily injury and death to Sandra Polanco.
Ayala Castillo faces 50 years to life in prison at his Jan. 15 sentencing at Norwalk Superior Court, according to a statement from the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
Rafael Ayala Castillo, 57, of Whittier was found guilty on Nov. 13, 2018 of the first degree murder of his girlfriend, Sandra Polanco.
Witness testimony revealed Ayala Castillo and Polanco were having relationship problems before the murder, the statement said.
The prosecution said the couple was in a relationship for nearly 10 years and lived together in the 11700 block of Floral Drive in Whittier.
A relative of Polanco dropped by the apartment on Sept. 12, 2017 and discovered the 54-year-old Whittier woman had been shot in the head. Firefighters pronounced Polanco dead at the scene.
Whittier police made a plea for the public’s help in finding Ayala Castillo and released his photo. Los Angeles police officers pulled him over the same day in the 7300 block of Lindley Avenue in Reseda.
Ayala Castillo is being held at the North County Correctional Facility in Castaic.