A 38-year-old man, Miguel Lazaro-Castillo, has been sentenced to four years in jail after brutally beating his wife in the presence of their three children, aged 9, 14, and 15.
The horrifying assault, which took place on October 9, was captured on video by the couple’s youngest child.
Lazaro-Castillo pleaded no contest in October to charges of felony domestic violence, false imprisonment, and misdemeanor child abuse, resulting in the maximum term allowed under the law.
The Yuba County Sheriff’s Office responded to a 911 call from one of Lazaro-Castillo’s children on the morning of the incident.
Deputies arrived at the family’s home to find a gruesome scene, with Lazaro-Castillo sitting atop his wife, who was lying face-down on the floor surrounded by blood-soaked napkins.
The investigation revealed that the youngest child had recorded the assault, a chilling video lasting over six minutes.
The footage showed Lazaro-Castillo repeatedly jabbing his wife in the face and head. Shockingly, one of the daughters attempted to shield her mother from the blows, only to be slapped by the aggressor.
The violence escalated as Lazaro-Castillo flipped his wife onto her stomach, pressing her face into the carpet for an extended period.
Despite initial denials and claims of ignorance about the source of the blood, it was later revealed that the husband, wife, and one of their underage children were intoxicated at the time.
In response to the severity of Lazaro-Castillo’s actions and his apparent disregard for the well-being of his children, the Yuba County District Attorney’s Office emphasized that, despite the absence of a prior criminal record, he received the maximum sentence for felony domestic violence.
Following the incident, a deputy placed the three children into protective custody, ensuring their safety.
“Despite Lazaro-Castillo not having a prior criminal record, he received the maximum sentence for felony domestic violence based on the brutality of his actions and his utter disregard for his children,” the DA’s office said.
