Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko announced that  Zarbab Ali (DOB 01/04/97), of Hawthorne, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of  parole for the first-degree murder of Rachael Castillo, the mother of their children.

Ms. Castillo was  in the process of divorcing the defendant, and the divorce was nearly complete at the time Ali  murdered her. Ali was convicted on November 21, 2025, of first-degree murder with the special  circumstance that the murder was committed by means of lying in wait. Prior to trial, Ali pled guilty  to the felony crime of sexual contact with the victim’s remains after her death.

At sentencing, the court heard powerful victim impact statements from Ms. Castillo’s family and  loved ones, who emphasized that “Rachel was more than a victim.” She was remembered as “a  devoted mother, loving sister, a daughter, and a friend,” with “a silly, soft-spoken voice that would  make anyone smile.” Family members told the court that Rachel had recently begun her master’s  program at Pepperdine University and “had dreams for her and her boys’ future,” adding, “She  deserved to watch them grow.”.

Addressing the defendant directly, speakers described his actions in stark terms, stating, “You are  here because you are a coward.” They told the court that when confronted with responsibility, “you  turned to violence,” and spoke on behalf of “two innocent children whose lives were forever  changed.” While acknowledging that Rachel cannot be brought back, family members urged  accountability and protection for her children.

Senior Deputy District Attorney David Russell, a member of the Ventura County District Attorney’s  Office Major Crimes Homicides Unit, prosecuted the case.

“Where any human being should feel shame, disgust, and loathing for what he has done, the  defendant has shown no remorse,” Mr. Russell said. “His actions place him among the very worst offenders this court will ever see. He deserved no leniency, and today’s sentence ensures he will  never again be free to endanger another person or inflict further harm on society.”

On November 10, 2022, Ali arrived at the Simi Valley apartment where Ms. Castillo lived with their  two children and her sister. Earlier that day, Ali picked up the children and took them to his parents’  home in Victorville. Knowing Ms. Castillo would be alone, he found the front door unlocked, went  inside, turned off the lights, and waited for her to exit a bedroom. He then confronted her in a dark  confined hallway and stabbed her 11 times in the neck and chest.

Ali wrapped her body in a blanket and attempted to clean the scene before placing her body in the  trunk of his vehicle, which he had left open in advance. He drove to Littlerock, California, and  buried Ms. Castillo in a shallow grave using a newly purchased shovel. He then returned to his  parents’ home where the children were.

When Ms. Castillo’s sister returned home, she discovered signs of a violent attack and called 911.  Although Ms. Castillo was missing, her personal belongings including her phone, keys, and car  were still at the residence. Officers from the Simi Valley Police Department responded, located  bloody items in a nearby dumpster, and spoke with witnesses who reported seeing Ali at the  apartment complex.

After returning to Victorville and once his family was asleep, Ali drove back to the grave site after  2:00 a.m. He unearthed Ms. Castillo’s body, engaged in sexual conduct with her remains, and  buried her again.

On the morning of November 13, 2022, detectives from the Simi Valley Police Department,  assisted by the FBI, searched a remote area in the desert near Littlerock. The rural site was  accessible by a dirt road and surrounded primarily by brush and sand. Investigators located vehicle  tracks for approximately 70 yards, ending at disturbed soil. About 20 yards southeast of the dirt  piles, investigators found a metal shovel. Beneath one of the disturbed areas of earth, law  enforcement recovered Ms. Castillo’s body.

After a thorough investigation by the Simi Valley Police Department with assistance from the FBI,  officers arrested Ali for the murder of Rachel Castillo on Sunday, November 13, 2022, after he left his parents’ home in Victorville.