A 54-year-old woman, Zulma Guzman Castro, has been detained pending an extradition hearing for alleged murder and attempted murder charges in Colombia. She was presented at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, post her arrest earlier that day. The court was informed that Colombian authorities are seeking Guzman Castro’s extradition for her involvement in the poisoning of two teenage girls who passed away after ingesting toxic raspberries.
During the court appearance, Guzman Castro, attired in a black jacket and white-and-black striped top, verified her identity but declined consent for extradition. Reports suggest that she was discovered in the River Thames close to Battersea Bridge in the previous month.
Prosecutor Rosemary Davidson informed the court that Guzman Castro had been previously held under the Mental Health Act and was taken into custody by the police post her discharge from the hospital on Tuesday.
Following an incident on Battersea Bridge where a distressed woman was reported, the Metropolitan Police responded swiftly. The Marine Policing Unit rescued a woman in her 50s from the water and transported her to the hospital. Fortunately, her injuries were evaluated as non-life-threatening or life-altering.
District Judge Sarah Turnock remanded Guzman Castro into custody until a case management hearing scheduled for Monday, January 12.
An NCA spokesperson announced that Zulma Guzman Castro had been apprehended by officers from the NCA’s National Extradition Unit for extradition to Colombia due to murder and attempted murder charges. The arrest took place in the W10 area of London, and she was set to appear in Westminster Magistrates’ Court later that day.
