A Bronx man has been sentenced to 20 years to life in prison for fatally stabbing his estranged wife after ambushing her inside her Van Nest apartment, Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark announced Wednesday.
Exiquio Castillo, 50, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder on Jan. 22, 2025, and was sentenced by Bronx Supreme Court Justice Audrey Stone.
“The defendant waited inside the victim’s home. When she returned, he viciously stabbed her multiple times, leading to her death,” Clark said. “Now, he is being held accountable for this crime that left two children motherless.”
According to the investigation, the fatal attack took place in the early morning hours of Feb. 16, 2022. Castillo unlawfully entered the home of 45-year-old Flor Recio Noble, with whom he was estranged, while she was not present. He ransacked the apartment, slashing and destroying personal belongings—including couches, clothing, televisions, and artwork—using a knife.
When Recio Noble returned home accompanied by a friend, Castillo allegedly pulled her inside at knifepoint. The friend managed to wrestle the weapon away from him, but Castillo then grabbed a second knife and stabbed Recio Noble multiple times.
She was rushed to a hospital, where she later died from her injuries.
District Attorney Clark’s office said the murder not only cut short the life of Recio Noble but also left her two children without their mother.
