Details of beheading emerge; head was placed in a burnt car in the jungle

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Donovan Ornellas

Details in the gruesome murder of Andrew Castro have come to light as the suspect told police that Andrew placed his family in danger.

Andrew Ray Castro was alive and well when his wife left to work Tuesday morning. Court documents state that when she returned, she discovered her wheelchair-bound husband lifeless, his head severed from his body.

She told police that she had left Castro in the company of Donovan Ornellas and that there didn’t appear to be any signs of distress. After locating Ornellas, police say he told them that he had smoked methamphetamine while at the apartment. He said he was compelled to kill Castro because he had placed his family in danger.

Ornellas wrote that: “I had removed his [Andrew’s] head from his body. I used my knife that was given to me. I placed the head into a black plastic bag…”

According to court documents, Ornellas went on to describe driving to an area in the north of Guam and leaving the head in a burnt car in the jungle.

Ornellas was booked and confined on charges of murder and aggravated assault, both with the special allegation of use of a deadly weapon in the commission of a felony.

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Jolene joined the PNC team in 2017, as a producer, co-anchor and investigative reporter covering law enforcement, courts and crimes. Notable coverage includes the Ehlert case, the Mark Torre Jr. trial, the Allan Agababa trial, exclusive pieces on the Life of a Drug Dealer/Addict, and Life behind bars...the story of Honofre Chargualaf and Kevin Cruz. In 2019, she was promoted to Assistant News Director and Lead Anchor. From 2015 to 2017 she served as Public Relations and Promotions Manager, for the Hotel Nikko Guam handling local radio and advertorial promotions, as well as produced and directed tv commercials for the hotel. Prior to this she worked with KUAM for three years as a reporter and segment host. She began her journalism career in 2012, working with Glimpses of Guam contributing to the Guam Business Magazine, R&R magazine, MDM magazine and the Marianas Business Journal.