Santa Clara County jail guard convicted of aiding inmate beating gets jailtime
A former Santa Clara County jail guard has been sentenced to jail for his role aiding a group of inmates in attacking another inmate, prosecutors said.
District Attorney Jeff Rosen's office announced Tuesday that 42-year-old Francisco Izayas Castillo of Morgan Hill is receiving a sentence of 45 days in county jail. Castillo was convicted in March of a misdemeanor in connection with a Sep. 21, 2022 incident.
"Correctional officers are sworn to protect the public and the inmates," Rosen said in a statement. "This officer betrayed the public, betrayed the inmates, and betrayed the badge."
According to prosecutors, the attackers told Castillo they were going to attack the victim 30 minutes beforehand and he approved. Before the incident, one of the attackers took rubber gloves from the guard's desk and pointed at the victim's cell.
Prosecutors said Castillo opened the victim's cell using his control panel. Two inmates punched and kicked the victim for about 30 seconds in his cell, while a third inmate stood guard.
Following the attack, the victim activated an emergency call button, which activated a green light outside his cell door and sent pings to notify the guard. Prosecutors said Castillo silenced the victim's emergency notification and turned off the emergency light.
"He approached the victim's cell but did not turn on his body worn camera, ensuring there was no record of their conversation," the DA's office said in a statement.
Prosecutors said the victim requested help, but Castillo did not request medical aid or report the attack. Castillo instead met with the attackers on a plan to keep word from getting out.
Another jail guard on the following shift discovered the inmate was injured and launched an investigation. The three inmates were charged and convicted for their roles in the attack, prosecutors said.
Castillo is scheduled to be remanded into custody on June 9.