Press Release by Devine PD–On September 1, 2024, at 1:21 PM, Officers from the Devine Police Department responded to a disturbance at Walmart, located at 175 IH 35, involving two males. Upon arrival, Officers spoke with Alex Rosen, who is part of Predator Poachers, a group that conducts online investigations into the sexual solicitation of minors.
Rosen stated that the other individual, identified as Eric Rey Castillo, age 25, had come to Walmart to engage in sexual activities with someone he believed to be a 13-year-old boy.
Rosen provided the Officers printed messages exchanged between Castillo and the purported minor, whom Rosen was impersonating.
After being informed of his Miranda Rights, Castillo stated he knew the boy was not real but insisted he needed to verify this for himself. He claimed his visit to Devine was motivated by a need for mental “help” and anticipated police presence. Castillo was subsequently arrested and transported to the Medina County Jail, facing charges of Online Solicitation of a Minor, a second-degree felony. A second-degree felony in Texas can result in 2–20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $10,000.
