Preliminary hearing waived for man found with Alabama teen

MARSHALL COUNTY, Ala. (WHNT) — A man charged with interfering with custody after being found with an Alabama teen across the country was set to appear in court Wednesday.

Raul Alexis Arellano-Romero, 32, was previously found in Arizona with a reported missing teen from Albertville on April 30. He was charged with interference with custody, transferred to the Marshall County Jail and had a preliminary hearing set for Wednesday.

Court documents, however, that Arellano-Romero’s preliminary hearing was waived. He does not have a new court date set.

Dayetssi Carrasquillo Pizarro, 13, was first reported missing April 19 after she was last seen in Albertville with her dog. In this missing person’s report, the Marshall County Sheriff’s Office identified Arellano-Romero as a person of interest April 29, stating that the teen was possibly in danger.

The Marshall County Sheriff’s Office stated April 30 that Pizarro was found safe in Arizona with Arellano-Romero. They were both then placed in the custody of the Navajo County Sheriff’s Office and before being transported back to Alabama.

The Navajo County Sheriff’s Office announced that around 5:37 a.m. April 30, a Major Crimes Apprehension Team detective stopped a vehicle traveling eastbound on I-40 near North Sun Valley Road for a civil traffic violation.

During the stop, the detective made contact with the driver, identified as Arellano-Romero, from New Mexico. The NCSO said that while the detective was talking with Arellano-Romero, he saw someone trying to hide under a blanket in the vehicle’s front passenger seat.

When asked about this, Arellano-Romero said the passenger was a 19-year-old friend he recently met in Las Vegas and was taking her back to New Mexico.

The detective said he noticed inconsistencies in Arellano-Romero’s statements, that he looked nervous and that he had signs of “deceptive behavior.” The NCSO said the reported 19-year-old gave a false identity and age. The sheriff’s office also said it looked like she had fake tattoos on her body, possibly to alter or conceal her real identity.

Upon further questioning, NCSO said the female disclosed her true name and age, revealing she was a 13-year-old child reported missing from Alabama. Detectives then contacted law enforcement authorities in Alabama, who confirmed that she had been missing since April 19.

The sheriff’s office said further investigation revealed that Arellano-Romero had previously been arrested in Massachusetts in 2024 for unlawfully removing the same child from her guardians’ custody. He was released on bond later that year.

Jail records show that on May 14, Arellano-Romero was booked into the Marshall County Jail. His charge is listed as interfering with custody and has a bond set at $100,000. His first court appearance was set for June 18 but was continued to Wednesday.