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Canyon Country Kidnapping Suspect Arrested After Almost Two Months

A man wanted for allegedly kidnapping his estranged wife in Canyon Country back in April was found and arrested by law enforcement Tuesday, officials said.

Detectives with the COBRA unit reported Tuesday night that 22-year-old Reuben Castellanos had been taken into custody after allegedly kidnapping his estranged wife in Canyon Country on April 9, according to Shirley Miller, spokesperson for the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station.

“The suspect reportedly threatened the victim’s life while she was in his vehicle, disabled her cell phone, and planned to take her to Mexico where ‘no one would be able to find her body,’” Miller said.

The kidnapped wife reportedly talked Castellanos into stopping at a shopping mall in Topanga to use the restroom, according to Sheriff’s officials.

“In the mall, the victim spotted a security officer, and felt it was an opportunity to save her life,” Miller said.“The victim got the officer’s attention when she yelled she was being kidnapped. The officer at first thought the victim was joking, until he saw the man accompanying her flee the location.”

Over the course of nearly two months, COBRA detectives interviewed multiple individuals in an effort to find Castallones, who reportedly has a prior criminal history and connections to gang activity, according to Sheriff’s officials.

Then, a break in the case came on Saturday, when officers with the Los Angeles Police Department responded to a call for a reported assault in the San Fernando Valley.

“Upon arrival, officers deemed no crime had occurred,” Miller said. “However, while checking the identification of parties at the location, they made a discovery. One of the individuals, Reuben Castellanos, was a wanted person out of Santa Clarita.”

Deputies with the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station were notified, and they dispatched a unit to the Vanowen Station in order to retrieve Castellanos and transport him back to Santa Clarita, according to officials.

Several felony charges have been filed against Castellanos by the Los Angeles District Attorney’s office, according to Miller. He is currently in custody at the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station jail, where bail was set at $70,000.


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Canyon Country Kidnapping Suspect Arrested After Almost Two Months

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About Michael Brown

Michael Brown has lived in Santa Clarita his whole life. Graduating from Saugus High School in 2016, he continued to stay local by attending The Master’s University, where he achieved a Bachelor's Degree in Communication. Michael joined KHTS in January of 2018 as a news intern, and has since gone on to become the News Director for the KHTS Newsroom. Since joining KHTS, Michael has covered many breaking news stories (both on scene and on air), interviewed dozens of prominent state and federal political figures, and interacted with hundreds of residents from Santa Clarita. When he is not working, Michael enjoys spending time with his family, as well as reading any comic book he can get his hands on.