After more than three decades, an arrest has been made in the brutal cold case murder of a 2-year-old boy in Reading, Pennsylvania. Berks County District Attorney John Adams announced the charges following an extensive re-investigation under his Cold Case Initiative.
The victim, a male toddler, was pronounced dead at St. Joseph’s Hospital at 12:50 PM on January 8, 1993, after being transported from a residence on Franklin Street.
An initial investigation determined the child died from multiple blunt impact injuries to the head and had numerous bruises at various stages of healing, leading Forensic Pathologist Dr. Neil Hoffman to rule the death a homicide.
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Reopened Investigation Leads to Suspect
Despite extensive efforts by the Reading Police Department in 1993, no arrests were made. At the time of his death, the boy lived with his father and his father’s paramour, Sandra Guadalupe-Castro.
The case was officially reopened in 2025 by the Reading Police Department Criminal Investigations Unit and Berks County Detectives as part of the Cold Case Initiative. Investigators systematically reviewed all original evidence, re-interviewed witnesses, and methodically re-examined medical and forensic findings.
Key to the renewed investigation was consultation with Dr. Neil Hoffman, who confirmed that the fatal injuries were inflicted shortly before the child’s death. This allowed detectives to narrow the timeline and focus on the child’s activities on the morning of January 8, 1993. Investigators ultimately determined that the defendant had sole care and supervision of the boy in the critical hours leading up to his death.
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Defendant Charged with Murder
On October 7, 2025, a criminal complaint was filed, charging Sandra Guadalupe-Castro with Murder of the First Degree and Murder of the Third Degree. A warrant for her arrest was issued the same day by Magisterial District Judge Carissa Johnson.
Berks County Detectives successfully apprehended Guadalupe-Castro at her residence on October 7, 2025. She was then transported to the Berks County Central Processing Center for booking and arraignment.
The District Attorney’s office emphasized that an arrest or filing of a criminal complaint is an accusation only, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
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