Woman’s charred remains found outside home near Granger; husband arrested

GRANGER — The husband of a 37-year-old woman whose severely burned body was found Friday morning near their home has been arrested.

The body was discovered after children of Maria Gonzalez-Castillo reported she was missing from her home in the 1600 block of Nass Road near Granger, Yakima County sheriff’s Detective Sgt. Mike Russell said.

Deputies said they were called to the home by teenage children who told them that on Thursday night their mother and father had been arguing and that the father had been intoxicated.

The children said when they woke Friday morning both parents were gone, deputies said. Afterward, human remains were discovered on the property.

The woman’s 44-year-old husband, who was not named by authorities, was arrested as he was returning to the home a couple of hours later. He has since been booked into the Yakima County jail on suspicion of murder.

Deputies said no one else in the home was injured and the children are safe with other family members.

Russell said he suspects the woman died sometime late Thursday night or Friday morning, although a cause of death is not known.

Yakima County Coroner Jack Hawkins said he has scheduled an autopsy for Monday morning, but couldn’t provide any additional information about the woman or the circumstances surrounding her death.

Her death, if ruled a homicide, would mark the 13th this year in Yakima County.

Anyone with information on the death is asked to call the Yakima County Sheriff’s Office at 509-574-2500 or 800-572-0490. Tips including anonymous tips can also be called into Crime Stoppers of Yakima County at 509-248-9980 or 800-248-9980 or on the internet at yakima.crimestoppersweb.com.

This story was originally published June 3, 2017 at 11:26 AM with the headline "Woman’s charred remains found outside home near Granger; husband arrested."