The stabbing death of Jose Orozco brings Harris County’s recent suspected domestic violence killings to four, the sheriff’s office says. Silhouettes representing the murder victims of domestic violence adorn the walls of Westland Baptist Church as part of the Silent Witness program in 2021 in Katy.
By Claire Goodman / Staff Writer
Authorities are investigating the murder of a 23-year-old Monday night as a domestic violence-related homicide, which follows several reported domestic violence-related killings in Harris County in recent weeks.
Sheriff’s deputies Monday night found 23-year-old Jose Orozco unresponsive with multiple stab wounds at a northeast Houston residence in the 4400 block of Sandydale Lane, Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said on X. Deputies were called to the home as part of a welfare check, Gonzalez said. Orozco was pronounced dead at the scene.
Prior to Orozco’s murder Monday night, there have been at least three killings since Sept. 21 that authorities are investigating as being related to domestic violence. The Harris County Sheriff’s Office has responded to approximately 23 domestic violence-related homicides in 2026 so far, Thomas Gilliland, a spokesperson for the sheriff’s office, told the Chronicle Tuesday.
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Houston Police assisted sheriff’s deputies in locating a suspect. They arrested Jaime Castillo, 20 who was believed to be in an intimate relationship with Orozco, according to Gonzalez.
Castillo, who has no prior criminal history in Harris Count was, according to court records, charged with murder. Charging documents say Castillo allegedly stabbed Orozco with a knife. Castillo is in custody at the Harris County Jail, and his bail has not yet been set.
The Harris County District Attorney’s Office recently announced a partnership with the county attorney’s office to increase free protective-order services for victims of family violence. Under the new partnership, the DA’s Domestic Violence Bureau will gain five more advocates who will help survivors with safety planning, protective orders and wraparound services, such as relocation assistance.
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Orozco was stabbed hours after Houston Police responded that morning to a fatal shooting of a man and a woman in the driveway of a North Houston home. David Elijah Herrera, 31, was arrested and charged with capital murder after his license plate was captured by a citizen who witnessed a man getting into his car near the shooting, police said. Herrera is accused of murdering his ex-girlfriend Dariela Elizabeth Cardona, 29, and her partner, Erick Von Gerbitz, 41, according to court records.
“We want to remind Houstonians — Houston Police Department has lots of resources for people that are experiencing domestic violence,” HPD Captain Ryan Watson said Monday in a briefing. “Domestic violence is driving violent crime right now, and we want everybody in Houston to know there are options, there are solutions and it does not need to end in violence.”
Herrera is in the Harris County Jail and his bail is slated to be set at a hearing Wednesday. Court records indicate he has no prior criminal history.
The three murders Monday in Harris County follow the arrest of 22-year-old Guillermo Mondragon Rosales, who is accused of shooting his ex-girlfriend and her father in Baytown Sept. 28. Leonel Pavon, 53, the father, was pronounced dead at the scene. Enelsi Pavon, Rosales’ 19-year-old ex-girlfriend, was transported by helicopter to a hospital. Enelsi Pavon was in stable condition as of Tuesday, according to the sheriff’s office.
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Rosales has been charged with murder in connection with Leonel Pavon’s slaying and aggravated assault in connection with shooting Enelsi Pavon, according to Sheriff Gonzalez. Gonzalez said the shooting appeared to be motivated by Rosales’ anger over the end of his relationship.
A week prior to the shooting in Baytown, a 50-year-old woman was arrested in connection with the slaying of her husband near Wallisville. Tamara Cruz is accused of fatally shooting her husband, 74-year-old Juan Cairo, according to court records. A bail order for Cruz indicates she allegedly shot Cairo after an assault. Cruz’ bail setting has been referred to district court. She is currently in the Harris County Jail.