A woman facing charges of murder and attempted murder in Colombia has been detained pending an extradition hearing.
Zulma Guzman Castro, aged 54, made an appearance at Westminster Magistrates’ Court after her apprehension earlier in the day. Colombian authorities seek her extradition in connection with the suspected poisoning of two teenage girls who tragically passed away after ingesting raspberries laced with a harmful substance.
Clad in a black jacket and a white-and-black striped top, she verified her identity in court and declined to consent to extradition. Reports indicate that Guzman Castro was discovered in the River Thames vicinity near Battersea Bridge last 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 at the medical facility shortly after her release on Tuesday.
A statement from a Metropolitan Police spokesperson relayed, “Police responded to a distress call at 6.45am on Tuesday, December 16, regarding a woman in distress on Battersea Bridge. The Marine Policing Unit retrieved a woman in her fifties from the water at 7.14am, and she was transported to the hospital, where her injuries were deemed non-life-threatening or life-altering.”
District Judge Sarah Turnock ordered Guzman Castro to remain in custody until a case management hearing scheduled for Monday, January 12.
An NCA spokesperson announced, “Zulma Guzman Castro, aged 54, was apprehended today by officers from the NCA’s National Extradition Unit. She is sought by Colombian authorities in connection to murder and attempted murder and was apprehended in the W10 area of London. She is set to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court later today.”
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