Overview
- Judge Christina Mims imposed a sentence of 18.75 to 40 years for assault with intent to murder, with lesser terms on two other counts to run concurrently for a minimum of 15 years in prison.
- Ricardo Perez Castillo, 25, pleaded no contest in October to assault with intent to murder, first-degree home invasion, and second-degree assault with intent to commit criminal sexual conduct.
- Prosecutors say he entered a Rockford, Michigan home before dawn on June 15, 2024, removed clothing, took a kitchen knife, and stabbed an 11-year-old guest during a sleepover.
- The homeowner intervened and held Castillo at gunpoint until police arrived, and statements to investigators indicate he intended to kill the family and sexually assault the child after death.
- In a letter read at sentencing, the victim described severe pain and recurring nightmares, while Castillo knelt to apologize as the judge called the case “disturbing on so many levels.”