Naman Shrestha
When Abby was adopted by her uncle and aunt — Eusebio and Laura Castillo — little did she know that her life would turn into a living nightmare for the next 15 years or so. Residing with her adoptive parents, she went through a lot of traumatic experiences. Years later, she garnered enough strength and got herself out of the nightmare with the help of her partner. The petrifying debacle of Abby’s life is covered in detail in the episode titled ‘They Stole My Childhood’ of Investigation Discovery’s ‘Evil Lives Here,’ which also features insightful interviews with Abby herself.
Abby Alvarado Was Manipulated and Sexually Assaulted by Her Adoptive Parents
Born to Maria Rodriguez, Abigail “Abby” Alvarado and her two siblings were taken away by Child Protective Services when their mother was battling drug and alcohol addiction and was deemed unfit to provide for them. When Abby was nine, she and her siblings, including sister Liz, were temporarily kept at a children’s shelter in San Antonio, Texas, before they were legally adopted by their uncle Eusebio Castillo — Maria Rodriguez’s brother who was a Sergeant in the army — and his wife, Laura Castillo. So, the three siblings moved to Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, where they began living with their new guardians.
Not long after the move, Abby said she began getting molested by Eusebio at night on a regular basis. By the time Eusebio retired from the army in 2001, and they had moved to Houston and then Laredo, the molestation had turned into rape, and even Laura started to get involved, as per Abby’s claims. Upon the completion of 8th grade, they relocated to Mission, Texas. Abby claimed that when she was in high school, Laura demanded she become a surrogate mother for Eusebio’s children since she was unsuccessful in her attempts to conceive with him.
At the young age of 17, she became a mother for the first time. Over the next six years, she gave birth to two more children. All of them were raised to believe that Abby was their sister and that their actual parents were Laura and Eusebio. After moving to San Antonio, Texas, Abby crossed paths with Rudy around 2013. They grew close to one another and fell in love. While they were deeply in love with each other, she mustered up the courage and broke the news to them. Following the revelation of there being another person in Abby’s life, the latter was brutally assaulted by Laura, according to Rudy, who also added that Eusebio threatened to harm himself and her children.
When Laura suddenly became ill in April 2014 and Eusebio told Abby that she and he would get married and produce more children, she finally broke and went to the police station with Rudy to report the years of brainwashing, manipulation, sexual assault, and physical abuse she went through at the hands of her uncle and aunt. Unfortunately, when the investigation began, Eusebio and Laura had escaped after selling their house and possessions. Meanwhile, on March 7, 2015, Abby and Rudy tied the knot and made their relationship official in the eyes of the law. After two years of search, Eusebio and Laura’s whereabouts surfaced in December 2016, after which the authorities began gathering evidence against them to obtain an arrest warrant.
Laura and Eusebio Castillo Are Behind Bars For Their Crimes Against Abby
On February 22, 2017, Eusebio Castillo was arrested and charged on various counts, including rape, molestation, and assault. A few months later, on June 1, 2017, his wife, Laura, was taken into custody in San Juan, Texas, on charges of aggravated sexual assault of a child. More than a year later, on July 13, 2018, she pleaded guilty to three counts of aggravated sexual assault and received a 33-year imprisonment sentence. On the other hand, on October 23, 2018, her husband received five life sentences for his crimes against Abby Alvarado. Laura is incarcerated at Dr. Lane Murray Unit in Gatesville, Texas, with her parole eligibility scheduled for November 2033.
In a conversation with the San Antonio Express-News, Abby Alvarado opened up about the years of trauma she faced while living with the Castillos. She explained, “I was depressed all the time. I wouldn’t eat. I would think of suicide. And I stopped it all because of the kids. Who was going to take care of my kids? I thought, ‘If I die, my kids are next in line.” She claimed that she didn’t act against the wrongdoings of the Castillos earlier because she was afraid that her children might have to bear the consequences of her actions.
Having Survived Her Past Traumas, Abby is a Happily Married Woman and Mother Today
A few years after Abby Alvarado’s uncle and aunt were brought to justice, her story was brought to life in the form of a book titled ‘I Am Abigail: A Texas Woman’s Childhood Nightmare – And Her Escape From Hell as a Sex Slave/Survivor’ by Jamie Collins in September 2023. With the constant love and support of her husband, Abby Alvarado has managed to come out of her traumatic past experience and lead a happy life with Rudy Alvarado and her three children. Almost every year on Halloween, the couple likes to dress up in the costumes of fictional characters and become a part of the celebratory night.
The Alvarado family also enjoys going on adventures and vacations together. Despite so many years since their marriage, the love between Abby and Rudy only seems to have multiplied. In a heartfelt post, he greeted her birthday in September 2024, writing, “Happy birthday to my beautiful, better half. To my favorite person in the entire world, You’re always on my mind. And I will always be your biggest supporter. You are the absolute best wife in the world. I can’t imagine life without you in it. Thank you for making everyday brighter and bigger. I love you more and hope you have a wonderful day today.” As of today, Abby, who lives in San Antonio, Texas, mainly focuses on spending time with her family and friends.
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