US

Baby Hope's mother says fear and language barrier kept her from reporting missing daughter

Associated Press
Published | Updated

The headstone of Baby Hope now bears her real name, Anjelica Castillo, on Monday, Oct. 14, 2013, in the Bronx borough of New York. A distant cousin of Castillo was charged with murder this weekend after a break in the two-decade old cold case. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews) (The Associated Press)

The headstone of Baby Hope now bears her real name, Anjelica Castillo, on Monday, Oct. 14, 2013, in the Bronx borough of New York. A distant cousin of Castillo was charged with murder this weekend after a break in the two-decade old cold case. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews) (The Associated Press)

The mother of a slain New York City girl long known as Baby Hope says fear and a language barrier kept her from reporting her daughter's disappearance 22 years ago.

Margarita Castillo says she didn't know where Anjelica Castillo was until authorities contacted her earlier this month.

Police identified Anjelica as "Baby Hope" over the weekend. The 4-year-old was found stuffed in a cooler along a Manhattan highway in 1991.

Castillo says she was separated from two of her three daughters, including Anjelica, after splitting from her husband. The other daughter was returned to her in 1995. She says she believed Anjelica was alive and living with relatives.

Officials say Castillo was afraid of her ex-husband and of being deported.

Police have charged a relative with Anjelica's death. They're looking for her father.