A Salvadorian national is now in custody after being accused of attacking and sexually assaulting a woman before attempting to leave her to die in the woods more than two years ago.
Cesar Orlando Castro Serrano, 26, has been charged with aggravated kidnapping, aggravated sexual assault, and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
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Serrano, who is a Salvadorian national, was handed over to officials with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
As part of FBI Houston's ongoing support of immigration operations, a Salvadoran national residing illegally in Houston, and who has been wanted by local law enforcement for aggravated sexual assault, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and aggravated kidnapping, was… pic.twitter.com/FqCm1XRpB4
— FBI Houston (@FBIHouston) November 13, 2025
What court docs say happened
The incident happened on Feb. 15, 2023. The victim, a 22-year-old woman, was working as a prostitute on Bissonnet Street in Houston. She told authorities she was approached by a man named “Cesar,” who propositioned her for sex. She agreed got into his vehicle, a black Lincoln Navigator SUV.
After driving for a short time, Cesar told the victim he had car problems and stopped, according to court records. She got out of his car and attempted to call an Uber. While she was waiting, the victim told police Cesar came from behind her and struck her in the head with a metal pole. After hitting her, he reportedly drug her back into the SUV and drove away with her.
The victim said she was unaware of where Cesar was taking her, and she was disoriented because blood was pouring from the wound on her head. She added that she thought she was going to die.
Cesar then stopped the car and told her he was out of gas, records say. He allegedly drug her from the car into a heavily wooded area, at which point he sexually assaulted her.
Cesar reportedly left after the assault, telling the woman he would be coming back.
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She said she stayed on the ground, because she was too injured to move. After time had passed and she believed he was gone, she cried out for help. An unknown man who lived in a nearby apartment complex heard the shouting, investigated, and called 911.
Responding officers and paramedics found the woman in the woods. She was treated from her injuries and told investigators what reportedly happened.
That same day, Houston Police Department received the break they needed in the case.
Authorities received a call from a woman who was at a tow yard. She claimed that her boyfriend, who was also the father of her 1-year-old child, had admitted to a terrible crime. She brought her boyfriend’s passport and identified him as Serrano, who was 24 at the time.
During a phone call — which the woman recorded and turned over to authorities — he allegedly told her he had “killed someone who was giving him problems” and left her body in a wooded area. When he came back from the woods, he said his SUV had been towed.
He reportedly added that he knew the police would be looking for him, and he was attempting to flee.
The girlfriend then went to the tow yard, where she found the SUV covered in blood. When authorities searched the vehicle, they also found a metal rod covered in blood and hair underneath the seat in the passenger compartment.