A Vernal man is facing multiple charges following an alleged domestic violence situation in which he assaulted his girlfriend and demanded she pick one of her children to kill. 33-year-old Brandon Martin Castillo is facing charges including felony assault, kidnapping, child abuse, and domestic violence in the presence of a child for the events alleged to have happened on July 10th and 11th. Court documents paint a gruesome account stating that during an argument, Castillo “punched his girlfriend in the eye…ribs…and forehead…karate chopped his girlfriend in the throat and…choked her until she lost consciousness.” When she regained consciousness, Castillo “stomped on [her] throat…stomped on her pelvic bone and told her to dream about which one of her kids was going to die tomorrow.” The next day, Castillo allegedly woke up his girlfriend and her two children, ages 5 and 10, and after grabbing a screwdriver, “drove them up a mountain…pulled over and told his girlfriend to pick which kid she wanted to die.” As she comforted the children, Castillo told his girlfriend to “do it, to kill one of her children…” by smothering the child. She did not do it and Castillo “ripped the child out of [her] hands and got them all back into the car” and told her that “if she didn’t change, he was going to kill her entire family while she watched and then make her his slave.” Court documents state that a few days later when she had the opportunity, she was able to get herself and her children safely away and call the police for help. Charges were filed against Castillo on July 17th. This is not the first time Castillo has been accused of domestic violence involving a girlfriend and her children. In 2012, Castillo was charged in 8th District Court with three counts of Felony Aggravated Assault, all of which he plead Guilty to in 2014. Court documents detail a terrifying tirade during which Castillo drove a girlfriend and her young child out into the country where he assaulted the woman repeatedly in front of the child, shot her in both legs, and forced her to watch as he pointed the gun at her child and asked, “Is she worth it?” In that case his prison sentence was suspended and he was put on Probation. On the new charges filed Wednesday, Castillo has been arrested and is in custody in the Uintah County Jail being held on no bail.
