Guilty Plea in Sterling Carjacking that Occurred in August

A Mexican man entered a guilty plea related to a carjacking that occurred Aug. 12, 2011 outside a Sterling Park CVS and he now awaits deportation by federal authorities.

Jorje Alberto Castillo, 27, admitted in court that he grabbed the 23-year-old victim by the neck and held an unknown object to her neck around 9:40 p.m. Aug. 12 as she carried her daughter toward her vehicle.

Castillo demanded money and took the victim’s purse, keys and wallet. He then demanded that the victim kiss him before ordering her back into the CVS, according to information provide by the Loudoun County Commonwealth Attorney’s Office. Castillo then left in the victim’s SUV.

Kansas Highway Patrol Trooper J.E. Ziegler stopped the vehicle two days later for speeding on Interstate 70 near Saline, KS. Information about the CVS incident had been entered into the FBI’s National Crime Information Center database, so Ziegler was able to determine the car was stolen and the driver, eventually identified as Castillo, may be wanted.

Two additional passengers were in the car with Castillo in Kansas: an adult and a teenage runaway from Garden City, KS. Ziegler found the CVS victim’s purse, wallet and credit cards in the car.

“This is a fine example of how open communication between law enforcement agencies can bring criminals swiftly to justice,” said Loudoun Commonwealth’s Attorney Jim Plowman. “We were all grateful that the victim and her daughter escaped without serious physical injury; no amount of personal property is worth risking your safety or that of another person.”

A sentencing hearing has been scheduled in the Loudoun County Circuit Court at 9 a.m. April 27. A federal immigration detainer has also been issued for Castillo, which should ensure his deportation following his release from prison. The penalty for carjacking in Virginia ranges from 15 years to life in prison.