A California man, Miguel Lazaro-Castillo, has been sentenced to four years in prison for a brutal assault on his wife, captured on video by his 9-year-old son. Lazaro-Castillo faced charges of felony domestic violence, false imprisonment, and misdemeanor child abuse, to which he pleaded no contest in October, leading to the maximum sentence.
The incident unfolded around 2 a.m. on October 9, prompting one of the couple’s children to call 911. Deputies from the Yuba County Sheriff’s Department arrived within six minutes to find Lazaro-Castillo atop his wife, who lay on the floor surrounded by bloody napkins. The couple’s three children, aged 15, 14, and 9, were present at the scene.
Initially, Lazaro-Castillo, with no prior criminal record, denied any knowledge of the blood and the assault. However, deputies later discovered a disturbing six-minute video recorded by the 9-year-old, revealing the severity of the attack. The footage depicted Lazaro-Castillo repeatedly striking his wife in the head and face, the New York Post reported.
Another child attempted to shield the mother, but Lazaro-Castillo slapped the child and continued the assault. The video concluded with the man forcing his wife face-down onto the carpet for an extended period.
Both Lazaro-Castillo and his wife, along with one of their minor children, were intoxicated during the assault. As a result, the children have been placed in protective custody. The sentence reflects the gravity of the charges, emphasizing the legal consequences of domestic violence.
If you or someone you know has been the victim of domestic abuse, you can find help and support at DVIS.org, the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or by contacting your local women’s shelter (domesticshelters.org).
