Jordin Miranda Castillo: Shooting, Protective Order, and Life Sentence

Jordin Miranda Castillo was a 20-year-old mother from Glendale, Arizona, who was shot and killed by her ex-boyfriend, Rueben Xavier Rocha, on June 4, 2023, while she was on the phone with 911 begging him to leave her apartment. Rocha was convicted of first-degree premeditated murder and eight other charges in February 2026 and sentenced the following month to natural life in prison plus 52.5 years.¹

What Happened on June 4, 2023

That afternoon, Rocha traveled to Castillo’s third-floor apartment near 51st and Northern avenues in Glendale. He arrived in all black, wearing a face mask and a hoodie pulled over his head.² Castillo was inside with her young daughter and two friends. Rocha climbed onto the balcony and kicked in a glass door to force his way in.³

Castillo called 911. On the recorded call, she can be heard screaming at him: “I have an order of protection, you’re going to be arrested! Please leave!”⁴¹⁵ Castillo was pronounced dead at 3:13 p.m. Her two friends were seriously injured but survived.

Rocha fled but turned himself in to Glendale police the next day, around 1:30 p.m. on June 5, 2023.⁶

The Protective Order and Prior Abuse

Castillo and Rocha shared a two-year-old daughter, Malia.⁷ After they separated, Castillo obtained an order of protection against him. Authorities said there was an existing history of domestic violence between them, and her family said she had been “harassed and stalked” by Rocha before her death.⁸ Investigators said a social media dispute between the two in the period before the attack was part of what triggered the shooting.²

The Trial and Verdict

Rocha, 22 at the time of the shooting, was tried in Maricopa County Superior Court. After a three-week trial, a jury found him guilty on February 2, 2026, of all nine counts:¹

First-degree murder, a Class One dangerous domestic violence felony
First-degree burglary, a Class Two dangerous felony
Two counts of aggravated assault, Class Three dangerous felonies, for the injuries to Castillo’s two friends
Four counts of disorderly conduct, Class Six dangerous felonies
Interfering with judicial proceedings, a Class One domestic violence misdemeanor, for violating the protective order

The case was prosecuted by Maricopa County attorneys Lindsay Gephardt and Melissa Certo. A key piece of evidence was cell phone video recorded by one of the surviving victims, which Judge Myers said allowed the jury to “see Jordin in life but also to witness the horrific act that took her life.”⁹

The Sentence

On March 20, 2026, Judge Myers sentenced Rocha to natural life in prison for the first-degree murder conviction, plus 52.5 years on the remaining charges, with 15 of those years to run consecutively to the life sentence.¹ Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell said Rocha “will never get out of prison.”¹⁰

Dozens of Castillo’s family members attended the hearing. Her mother, Katina Castillo, told the court: “On June 4th of 2023, she asked him to leave. No, she begged him to leave, and he would not. He could not let her have her peace.” She added: “That has been the hardest part. Accepting that my beautiful, spunky, gorgeous daughter Jordin Miranda is gone forever.”⁹ Her brother, Elijah Castillo, also spoke. Rocha said he had nothing to say when given the chance to address the court.

Her Daughter and the Family’s Advocacy

Jordin’s daughter, Malia, is now five years old. Family described Jordin as “so strong, so small but so mighty,” in her mother’s words,¹¹ and as “an amazing person, thoughtful, and strong,” in the words of her aunt, Mercedes Castillo.³

Mercedes has continued advocating for domestic violence victims in the years since, organizing a bike ride vigil in downtown Phoenix in August 2023 and speaking publicly about warning signs. “We’re just hoping that anyone that’s in that situation, we just urge them to get out and to find help,” she said.¹² After the conviction, she said she hoped “any victims that are out there hear Jordin’s story.”⁹

1
Maricopa County Attorney’s Office. Rueben Rocha Sentenced for Murder of Jordin Castillo
2
Law & Crime. Ex-Boyfriend Shot Mother of His Child Dead as She Begged Him to Go Away
3
ABC15. Man Found Guilty in 2023 Killing of Young Glendale Mother
4
Arizona Republic. 911 Call, Court Documents Detail Shooting Death of Jordin Miranda Castillo
5
KTAR. Life Sentence for Fatal Glendale Shooting
6
AZ Family. 3 People Hospitalized After Shooting in Glendale
7
GoFundMe. Justice4Jordin
8
People. Arizona Man Allegedly Harassed, Stalked Ex Accused of Killing Her
9
ABC15. Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for the Murder of a 20-Year-Old Glendale Mother
10
AZ Family. Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for Killing Ex-Girlfriend in Glendale
11
AZ Family. Family Holds Vigil for Young Glendale Mother Reportedly Killed by Ex-Boyfriend
12
Fox 10 Phoenix. Bike Ride Vigil Held in Downtown Phoenix for Woman Killed in Domestic Violence Shooting