Topline: Michigan man pleaded no contest to attempted murder, home invasion, and sexual assault.
Published: December 11, 2025 8:00 am ET
Must Read
Ricardo Perez Castillo, mugshot via Kent County Sheriff’s Office
Ricardo Perez Castillo, mugshot via Kent County Sheriff’s Office
ROCKFORD, MI — Former Marine recruiter sentenced to 40 years after breaking into home and stabbing child in attempted assault in June 2024.
Ricardo Perez Castillo, 25, appeared in Kent County court where he pleaded for forgiveness while being sentenced for attempted murder and sexual assault.
Castillo pleaded no contest to assault with intent to murder, first-degree home invasion, and second-degree assault with intent to commit criminal sexual conduct, according to the Kent County Prosecutor’s office. The incident occurred in the early morning hours of June 15, 2024.
During the sentencing hearing, Castillo kneeled on the floor as he addressed the victim and her family. “I ask for forgiveness for all of you, for both families, for the whole community of Rockford, I ask for forgiveness. Sorry. I’m sorry,” he said, as reported by WZZM-13.
Castillo stated that he knew he did not deserve forgiveness, adding that he had been “a lost person” who had “found God.”
Judge Christina Mims delivered a strong rebuke of Castillo’s actions. “This case is disturbing on so many levels,” Judge Mims said, according to reporting by WOOD Grand Rapids.
She described the attack as “just what comes to mind is a real-life horror movie or a horror show where you’re stabbing this child.”
Judge Mims noted the victim’s survival was due only to intervention. “It’s just by the grace of God that she wasn’t killed,” the judge said.
The victim’s experience was detailed in a letter read aloud by a prosecutor during the proceedings. The girl described the immediate aftermath of the assault. “I remember being in a lot of pain on the floor,” the letter stated, per WZZM-13.
She described seeing her blood everywhere and feeling the warmth of it running down her body. She said she could still feel the stinging pain of the wounds.
“I remember being very scared and not understanding why this happened to me,” the victim wrote, adding that she never thought an “innocent sleepover would have left me in the hospital with bad injuries.”
Kent County Chief Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Elizabeth Bartlett provided details of the crime to People magazine. She confirmed that Castillo had been a U.S. Marine Corps recruiter at the time of the attack.
Castillo gained entry to the home through a side door in the early hours of the morning. Before proceeding further into the home, he went to the kitchen and grabbed a knife, Bartlett said. Castillo then removed his pants and underwear as he made his way upstairs.
Bartlett outlined Castillo’s movements, noting that he checked a bedroom where the parents were sleeping, then shut the door. A second bedroom was locked. He then located the third bedroom, where the victim and the homeowner’s daughter were sleeping.
The victim was sleeping on an air mattress in the middle of the room, according to Bartlett. The homeowner’s daughter was sleeping in a top bunk.
The prosecutor told People magazine that Castillo began stabbing the girl on the air mattress. Castillo believed he was stabbing her in the neck, but the injuries were to her shoulder and arm, Bartlett reported.
The attack was halted when the victim screamed, which led her friend to scream, waking the homeowner. The homeowner rushed into the room and held Castillo at gunpoint until police arrived at the scene.
Investigators later confirmed the brutal motivation behind the invasion and stabbing. Castillo made multiple statements to police following his arrest.
He told authorities that he thought stabbing the victim in the neck “was gonna be the easy way to kill her,” Bartlett relayed. Castillo also confessed to police that he “was going to try and kill the whole f—ing family.”
When asked about why he had no clothing on the bottom half of his body, Castillo reportedly said, “I think I was trying to sleep with the girl once she was dead.”
Bartlett noted that the premeditated nature of the crime made the case exceptionally difficult. The prosecutor referred to the incident as an “absolute nightmare.”
“You would never think that sending your 11-year-old girl to a gated community sleepover, it would ever end this way,” Bartlett told People magazine.
Castillo was taken into custody following the incident and held until his sentencing last week. The sentence of up to 40 years reflects the severity of the charges to which he pleaded no contest.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor Picks
Latest Articles
Marine Recruiter Stabbed 11-Year-Old During Sleepover, Now Faces Decades in Prison
Michigan man pleaded no contest to attempted murder, home invasion, and sexual assault.
By Kate Byrd
Published: December 11, 2025 8:00 am ET
Ricardo Perez Castillo, mugshot via Kent County Sheriff’s Office
Ricardo Perez Castillo, mugshot via Kent County Sheriff’s Office
ROCKFORD, MI — Former Marine recruiter sentenced to 40 years after breaking into home and stabbing child in attempted assault in June 2024.
Ricardo Perez Castillo, 25, appeared in Kent County court where he pleaded for forgiveness while being sentenced for attempted murder and sexual assault.
Castillo pleaded no contest to assault with intent to murder, first-degree home invasion, and second-degree assault with intent to commit criminal sexual conduct, according to the Kent County Prosecutor’s office. The incident occurred in the early morning hours of June 15, 2024.
During the sentencing hearing, Castillo kneeled on the floor as he addressed the victim and her family. “I ask for forgiveness for all of you, for both families, for the whole community of Rockford, I ask for forgiveness. Sorry. I’m sorry,” he said, as reported by WZZM-13.
Castillo stated that he knew he did not deserve forgiveness, adding that he had been “a lost person” who had “found God.”
Judge Christina Mims delivered a strong rebuke of Castillo’s actions. “This case is disturbing on so many levels,” Judge Mims said, according to reporting by WOOD Grand Rapids.
She described the attack as “just what comes to mind is a real-life horror movie or a horror show where you’re stabbing this child.”
Judge Mims noted the victim’s survival was due only to intervention. “It’s just by the grace of God that she wasn’t killed,” the judge said.
The victim’s experience was detailed in a letter read aloud by a prosecutor during the proceedings. The girl described the immediate aftermath of the assault. “I remember being in a lot of pain on the floor,” the letter stated, per WZZM-13.
She described seeing her blood everywhere and feeling the warmth of it running down her body. She said she could still feel the stinging pain of the wounds.
“I remember being very scared and not understanding why this happened to me,” the victim wrote, adding that she never thought an “innocent sleepover would have left me in the hospital with bad injuries.”
Kent County Chief Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Elizabeth Bartlett provided details of the crime to People magazine. She confirmed that Castillo had been a U.S. Marine Corps recruiter at the time of the attack.
Castillo gained entry to the home through a side door in the early hours of the morning. Before proceeding further into the home, he went to the kitchen and grabbed a knife, Bartlett said. Castillo then removed his pants and underwear as he made his way upstairs.
Bartlett outlined Castillo’s movements, noting that he checked a bedroom where the parents were sleeping, then shut the door. A second bedroom was locked. He then located the third bedroom, where the victim and the homeowner’s daughter were sleeping.
The victim was sleeping on an air mattress in the middle of the room, according to Bartlett. The homeowner’s daughter was sleeping in a top bunk.
The prosecutor told People magazine that Castillo began stabbing the girl on the air mattress. Castillo believed he was stabbing her in the neck, but the injuries were to her shoulder and arm, Bartlett reported.
The attack was halted when the victim screamed, which led her friend to scream, waking the homeowner. The homeowner rushed into the room and held Castillo at gunpoint until police arrived at the scene.
Investigators later confirmed the brutal motivation behind the invasion and stabbing. Castillo made multiple statements to police following his arrest.
He told authorities that he thought stabbing the victim in the neck “was gonna be the easy way to kill her,” Bartlett relayed. Castillo also confessed to police that he “was going to try and kill the whole f—ing family.”
When asked about why he had no clothing on the bottom half of his body, Castillo reportedly said, “I think I was trying to sleep with the girl once she was dead.”
Bartlett noted that the premeditated nature of the crime made the case exceptionally difficult. The prosecutor referred to the incident as an “absolute nightmare.”
“You would never think that sending your 11-year-old girl to a gated community sleepover, it would ever end this way,” Bartlett told People magazine.
Castillo was taken into custody following the incident and held until his sentencing last week. The sentence of up to 40 years reflects the severity of the charges to which he pleaded no contest.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
Must Read
Editor Picks
Latest Articles
Marine Recruiter Stabbed 11-Year-Old During Sleepover, Now Faces Decades in Prison
Michigan man pleaded no contest to attempted murder, home invasion, and sexual assault.
By Kate Byrd
Published: December 11, 2025 8:00 am ET
Ricardo Perez Castillo, mugshot via Kent County Sheriff’s Office
Ricardo Perez Castillo, mugshot via Kent County Sheriff’s Office
ROCKFORD, MI — Former Marine recruiter sentenced to 40 years after breaking into home and stabbing child in attempted assault in June 2024.
Ricardo Perez Castillo, 25, appeared in Kent County court where he pleaded for forgiveness while being sentenced for attempted murder and sexual assault.
Castillo pleaded no contest to assault with intent to murder, first-degree home invasion, and second-degree assault with intent to commit criminal sexual conduct, according to the Kent County Prosecutor’s office. The incident occurred in the early morning hours of June 15, 2024.
During the sentencing hearing, Castillo kneeled on the floor as he addressed the victim and her family. “I ask for forgiveness for all of you, for both families, for the whole community of Rockford, I ask for forgiveness. Sorry. I’m sorry,” he said, as reported by WZZM-13.
Castillo stated that he knew he did not deserve forgiveness, adding that he had been “a lost person” who had “found God.”
Judge Christina Mims delivered a strong rebuke of Castillo’s actions. “This case is disturbing on so many levels,” Judge Mims said, according to reporting by WOOD Grand Rapids.
She described the attack as “just what comes to mind is a real-life horror movie or a horror show where you’re stabbing this child.”
Judge Mims noted the victim’s survival was due only to intervention. “It’s just by the grace of God that she wasn’t killed,” the judge said.
The victim’s experience was detailed in a letter read aloud by a prosecutor during the proceedings. The girl described the immediate aftermath of the assault. “I remember being in a lot of pain on the floor,” the letter stated, per WZZM-13.
She described seeing her blood everywhere and feeling the warmth of it running down her body. She said she could still feel the stinging pain of the wounds.
“I remember being very scared and not understanding why this happened to me,” the victim wrote, adding that she never thought an “innocent sleepover would have left me in the hospital with bad injuries.”
Kent County Chief Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Elizabeth Bartlett provided details of the crime to People magazine. She confirmed that Castillo had been a U.S. Marine Corps recruiter at the time of the attack.
Castillo gained entry to the home through a side door in the early hours of the morning. Before proceeding further into the home, he went to the kitchen and grabbed a knife, Bartlett said. Castillo then removed his pants and underwear as he made his way upstairs.
Bartlett outlined Castillo’s movements, noting that he checked a bedroom where the parents were sleeping, then shut the door. A second bedroom was locked. He then located the third bedroom, where the victim and the homeowner’s daughter were sleeping.
The victim was sleeping on an air mattress in the middle of the room, according to Bartlett. The homeowner’s daughter was sleeping in a top bunk.
The prosecutor told People magazine that Castillo began stabbing the girl on the air mattress. Castillo believed he was stabbing her in the neck, but the injuries were to her shoulder and arm, Bartlett reported.
The attack was halted when the victim screamed, which led her friend to scream, waking the homeowner. The homeowner rushed into the room and held Castillo at gunpoint until police arrived at the scene.
Investigators later confirmed the brutal motivation behind the invasion and stabbing. Castillo made multiple statements to police following his arrest.
He told authorities that he thought stabbing the victim in the neck “was gonna be the easy way to kill her,” Bartlett relayed. Castillo also confessed to police that he “was going to try and kill the whole f—ing family.”
When asked about why he had no clothing on the bottom half of his body, Castillo reportedly said, “I think I was trying to sleep with the girl once she was dead.”
Bartlett noted that the premeditated nature of the crime made the case exceptionally difficult. The prosecutor referred to the incident as an “absolute nightmare.”
“You would never think that sending your 11-year-old girl to a gated community sleepover, it would ever end this way,” Bartlett told People magazine.
Castillo was taken into custody following the incident and held until his sentencing last week. The sentence of up to 40 years reflects the severity of the charges to which he pleaded no contest.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
Must Read
