ST PAUL, Minn. — A St. Paul man is charged with murder after prosecutors say he stabbed his wife repeatedly while attending bible study at the home of a family member.
Court documents filed against 40-year-old Robert Castillo say he was wanted on an active warrant from the Department of Corrections for failing to appear on charges he assaulted a prison guard at the time of his arrest Tuesday.
St. Paul police were dispatched to a home on the 1000 block of Maryland Ave. E. around 9 p.m. Tuesday on reports of a stabbing. When officers arrived, they found a 41-year-old woman laying on the floor of the home bleeding from her torso, chest and arms. Nearby, several people were detaining Castillo, who was on the floor. One person told officers a knife laying on the armrest of a couch had been taken from Castillo.
While being transported to jail the defendant reportedly asked an officer "Is she going to be OK?"
According to a criminal complaint, investigators at the scene spoke with Castillo's sister, who was a resident of the home. She told them Castillo and the victim came over that evening for bible study, sat together on a couch and were acting like everything was normal. Then the defendant allegedly held the victim's hand, kissed her and whispered something in her ear. At that point the witness says the victim shook her head no, and Castillo responded by pulling his hunting knife and stabbing her an estimated 20 times.
A group of family members jumped up and pulled the defendant off his wife and held him down until police arrived, the complaint stated.
Other witnesses in the home told a similar version of events, also sharing that Castillo and the victim currently were not together as they were having marital problems. One witness told police the victim said "Don't let me die," and said Castillo would have stabbed others in the home had he not been disarmed, according to the complaint.
When questioned by investigators, the complaint states Castillo told them he and the victim had been legally married for a couple of years, and they lived together in Golden Valley until about a month before the stabbing. When asked what had happened with the victim at the house, the defendant reportedly replied "I don't want to discuss."
The Ramsey County Medical Examiner's Office found the victim had a stab wound to the left side of her chest that pierced her heart, along with additional sharp force injuries to her face, chest and upper extremities.
In the criminal complaint against Castillo, prosecutors say he has eight prior felony convictions, including one for beating the mother of his child with a hammer and another for repeatedly stabbing a roommate.
If convicted, Robert Castillo faces a maximum prison sentence of 40 years.
Here are resources people can use if they are experiencing domestic violence or know someone who is:
National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233
Day One Crisis Hotline: 1-866-223-1111
Violence Free Minnesota: https://www.vfmn.org/get-help
Minnesota Department of Public Safety Office of Justice Programs Resource Guide: https://dps.mn.gov/divisions/ojp/help-for-crime-victims/Pages/resource-list-victims.aspx
Minnesota Attorney General’s Office Domestic Violence Resources: https://www.ag.state.mn.us/consumer/Publications/DomesticAbuse.asp
Minnesota Secretary of State Safety Resources Page: https://www.sos.state.mn.us/safe-at-home/resources-for-safety/minnesota-safety-resources/
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