Mugshot of Raydin CastellanosRaydin Castellanos. Photo Credit: THE VIRGIN ISLANDS POLICE DEPARTMENT
ST. THOMAS — A man is facing multiple assault charges after he allegedly battered his girlfriend on at least two separate occasions.
Twenty-six-year-old Raydin Castellanos was arrested on Saturday night after police were dispatched in reference to a report of a man assaulting his girlfriend. While police were initially told that the suspect had fled on foot, Castellanos was later tracked down and discovered in the passenger seat of a vehicle traveling along Moravian Highway at high speed. He reportedly told police that he had gotten into an altercation with his girlfriend and he was just trying to go home. He was detained and placed in the back of the police vehicle pending further investigations.
When police made contact with the victim, she was sitting on a wall crying while her minor son comforted her. According to police, the child witnessed the entire altercation. Police also noted that they had prior knowledge of the victim from an incident on January 7th, 2022 where her boyfriend allegedly assaulted her and fled the scene before police arrived. Castellanos was arrested and charged for both incidents after the woman confirmed that he was responsible for assaulting her and causing injuries on both dates.
In a statement to police, the victim explained that Castellanos arrived at her residence and cursed at her son because he found out that the boy’s father had brought him some clothes. He then went into the bathroom and allegedly slapped the woman. Although she tried to block his strikes, he grabbed her hand and bit her causing her to bleed. He then continued to strike her face causing her to call out to her son to call the police. Castellanos then left the residence.
With regards to the January 7th attack, Castellanos reportedly came to the woman’s house early in the morning while she was asleep and started knocking on the door. When she opened the door, he allegedly attacked her by grabbing her and putting her in a headlock. He subsequently threw her to the floor and began hitting her in the face while threatening to kill her. The woman further stated that Castellanos grabbed a knife and attempted to stab her and she was cut while attempting to defend herself. He eventually got off her, went for his clothes and left. Investigations revealed that the victim had made several prior reports of Castellano assaulting her and that she was afraid to remain at her residence.
At his advisement hearing on Monday, Castellano was informed that he faces up to 5 years in prison for the charge of third-degree assault and up to 10 years for a charge of second-degree assault. He is also charged with possession of a dangerous weapon which is punishable by a maximum sentence of 15 years.
Assistant V.I. Attorney General Brenda Scales requested that bail be set at $15,000 with no 10 percent allowance, stressing that a weapon was used in one of the attacks. Meanwhile, attorney Alexia Furlow asked the court to grant Castellano a 10 percent provision. Furlow told the court that while the defendant was from the Dominican Republic, he had been in the Virgin Islands for 6 years.
However, Scales highlighted that Castellano has no social security number and is considered not only an ‘extreme danger’ to the victim but also a flight risk. After hearing from both attorneys, judge Paula Norkaitis set the defendant’s bail at $15,000 with no 10 percent provision. She asserted that this was based on the circumstances of the matter, particularly the alleged involvement of a weapon. Norkaitis stated that Castellano is considered a flight risk and a danger not only to the victim but to her minor son. He must therefore maintain a distance of at least 40 feet from both the woman and her child at all times. He must also remain at least 100 feet from any residence where she resides.
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