PHOENIX — The FBI has increased the reward to a quarter of a million dollars leading to the capture of a man on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list. The case has connections to Arizona.
23-year-old Sandy Le was murdered in the Charlotte, North Carolina, area in August 2016. Le's car was found days later in Phoenix, Arizona.
Investigators say now-24-year-old Alejandro (Alex) Castillo should be considered armed and dangerous.
The FBI said Castillo was Le's ex-boyfriend and coworker at a North Carolina restaurant. They believe Castillo killed Le because Castillo owed her money. The FBI said Castillo forced her to withdraw a $1,000 from an ATM before he shot and killed her.
12News talked with the FBI Charlotte Office which is assisting the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department and other agencies with the search for Castillo, who is now believed to be in Mexico.
Shelley Lynch, FBI Charlotte's Public Information Officer, told 12News Castillo is one of their top focuses to capture because of the motive in this case and his age at the time of his alleged crime. Castillo was 17-years-old when he allegedly killed Le.
"He's accused of quite a heinous crime really, over what's considered to really be a small amount of money," said Lynch.
Lynch also points to video from U.S. Customs and Border Protection that they said shows Castillo crossing into Mexico through the Nogales Port of Entry on August 16, 2016, just after 9 p.m. The video shows him in a black hat and grey t-shirt holding a bag and wheeling luggage.
"In one case you see him hold the door open for someone else to sort of walk through and if you think about what’s he’s accused of doing just days prior to that, it kind of gives you the chills," said Lynch.
The FBI said Le's car was discovered in Phoenix at a bus station near the corner of North 27th Avenue and McDowell Road the day before they believe Castillo fled to Mexico in 2016.
Lynch said Castillo has family in Pheonix. The FBI believes his family has no connection to the crime, but that Castillo was familiar with the area. "He knew how to cross the border. He knew how to access that area," said Lynch.
The FBI believes Castillo could now be in Aguascalientes or Veracruz. They believe someone is helping him.
Authorities now hope an increase in reward money will lead to his capture. Officials have bumped up the reward from $100,000 to $250,000.
Nearly seven years have passed since Sandy Le was murdered. The FBI said it's likely Castillo's appearance has changed, but they hope the increase will bring someone forward.
"There's a variety of things he could have done to change his appearance, but he hasn't changed the crime he's accused of committing," said Lynch.
You can submit a tip by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI, or online at tips.fbi.gov.
The FBI's Ten Most Wanted list has been around since 1950. Since it began 531 fugitives have appeared on the list, and 494 of them have been apprehended or located.
The FBI has increased the reward for all the Ten Most Wanted to at least $250,000. They hope this can help to decrease a rise in violent crime.
Authorities were originally looking for an accomplice who they said was with Castillo in 2016. She turned herself into Mexican authorities and was extradited back to the U.S. and her charges have been dismissed.
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