Authorities have not detailed who opened fire as deputies arrested the suspected abductor after disabling his sport utility vehicle.
BELLEVIEW, Fla. — A deputy-involved shooting that killed an Amber Alert suspect remained under investigation Tuesday as authorities worked to determine what happened after a pursuit ended on U.S. Highway 441 in Marion County.
Jason Castillo, 45, died at a hospital Monday night after he was shot while deputies attempted to arrest him, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office said. Castillo had been accused of abducting a 13-year-old Ocala girl who was found safe after deputies stopped the vehicle in which she was traveling.
The sheriff’s office said deputies located a 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe connected to the Amber Alert at about 5:20 p.m. Monday. Castillo refused to stop, prompting a pursuit that ended near the intersection of U.S. 441 and County Road 25A in the Belleview area.
Deputies used a pursuit intervention maneuver to disable the Hyundai, authorities said. Such a maneuver involves a law enforcement vehicle making controlled contact with another vehicle in an effort to turn it and end a pursuit. Officials have not released details about the speed of the chase, its full route or the conditions under which the maneuver was approved.
The sheriff’s office said shots were fired as deputies attempted to take Castillo into custody. Its initial statements did not specify whether Castillo had a weapon, who fired first or how many deputies discharged their weapons. Authorities also had not released the names of the deputies involved as of Tuesday.
Castillo was taken from the scene to a hospital for treatment and was later pronounced dead. Officials reported no injuries to deputies. The teenager, identified during the Amber Alert as Juliet Louise Arioso, was removed from the scene and placed in the care of authorities.
The shooting followed a search that began after investigators said Juliet was abducted from her home in Ocala’s Shady Road Villas community between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Monday. The statewide alert identified Castillo and provided the Hyundai’s description and Florida license plate.
Authorities have not publicly described the relationship between Castillo and Juliet. They also have not disclosed a suspected motive, explained what happened inside the girl’s home or said whether other people witnessed the alleged abduction. Those questions remain part of the broader investigation.
The law enforcement response closed southbound lanes of U.S. 441 as investigators examined the roadway and the disabled vehicle. The closure affected traffic through a busy commercial corridor in Belleview before the scene was cleared.
Evidence commonly reviewed after a deputy-involved shooting can include body-camera recordings, vehicle cameras, radio traffic, physical evidence and witness accounts. The sheriff’s office had not announced Tuesday which agency would lead the shooting review or when recordings from the encounter could become public.
Juliet’s safe recovery ended the immediate child-abduction emergency, but the shooting investigation remains open. Officials said additional information would be released as it becomes available.
Author note: Last updated July 28, 2026.