KENT COUNTY, Mich. — A man who pleaded no contest to stabbing an 11-year-old girl during a home invasion was sentenced Wednesday.
Ricardo Perez Castillo, 25, of Plainfield Township, will serve 18.75 to 40 years in prison after pleading no contest to Assault with Intent to Murder, Home Invasion First Degree, and Assault with Intent to Commit Criminal Sexual Conduct, Second Degree, according to Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker.
In June 2024, deputies from the Kent County Sheriff’s Office arrested Castillo after he stabbed the girl in a home on Ella Terrace Court. Court documents revealed that Castillo allegedly planned to kill the girl and commit sexual assault on her body.
Castillo reportedly broke into the home, removed his shoes, socks, and pants, and took a knife from a kitchen drawer. He walked upstairs intending to kill the family but, finding the parents asleep, left them alone to search for an easier target.
He then found the 11-year-old girl and her friend asleep. Castillo allegedly stabbed the girl in the left arm and shoulder, but she screamed, alerting her parents, who intervened and prevented him from killing her.
The sentence reflects the severity of the crime and the court’s commitment to protecting children and families from violent offenders.
