Double murder suspect shot to death by Anaheim police had connections to Bakersfield
| Thursday, Oct 01 2009 05:47 PM
Last Updated Friday, Oct 02 2009 09:18 AM
Loading Stories
Advertisement
A double murder suspect shot and killed by Anaheim police Wednesday was once convicted as a teen in Bakersfield of murdering an 17-year-old Stockdale High School student.
Anthony Castillo, 31, was wanted in connection with the early Wednesday shooting deaths of a woman, who was the mother of his son, and her boyfriend, Anaheim police said.
Castillo had also abducted the 5-year-old boy but later left the boy unharmed at a grandparent's home.
Police then tracked him to an Anaheim apartment complex where Castillo was armed with a gun.
Officers ordered him to drop the weapon, but he did not comply, Anaheim police Sgt. Rick Martinez told news reporters.
Officers shot Castillo who died late Wednesday night in a hospital, Martinez said.
Castillo was a suspect in the shooting deaths of Heather Courtney Sorensen, 31, and her boyfriend, Stephen Rene Serna, 35, at Sorensen's apartment, police said.
Another woman in the apartment was unharmed. But police said the boy likely witnessed the shootings.
Police confirmed that officers went to Sorensen's apartment several weeks ago over a domestic dispute between Castillo and the woman.
Prosecutors in Kern County confirmed that Castillo was tried in Juvenile Court on murder charges.
An uncle of Castillo, Bobby Flores, told KABC-TV reporters at the scene of the police shooting that Castillo was sentenced to nine years in a youth prison for a 1994 shooting death.
Castillo was convicted in Kern County Juvenile Court of first degree murder in the April 24, 1994, shooting death of Carlos Urias Jr.
Castillo admitted shooting Urias three times with a shotgun, but he didn't think the small dove shot shells in the gun would kill anyone. Castillo said Urias had threatened him before the shooting.
Judge Robert Baca sentenced Castillo to the California Youth Authority which had to release him before his 25th birthday.
