Jury gives 20 year sentence for aggravated robbery

The following is a press release from the Brazos County District Attorney's Office.

On September 25, 2019, Alexander Castillo, 24, of College

Station, was convicted by a jury of Aggravated Robbery in the 272nd District Court. Last Friday, that same jury handed down a 20-year prison sentence at the conclusion of the punishment phase of trial.

On the evening of September 12, 2018, officers with the Bryan Police Department were dispatched to an aggravated robbery at Fatty’s Smoke Shop, located in the 3500 block of South Texas Avenue.

When officers arrived they got a detailed description of the robber from the shop’s only employee working in the store at the time. The employee reported that the robber told her that he had a 9mm

handgun with exactly seven rounds in the magazine. The employee also stated that the robber showed her the gun during the robbery

and got away with some cash from a cash register. As the suspect left the store, the employee filmed the suspect with her cell phone.

Nearly two miles away at in the Walmart parking lot off Briarcrest Drive,

police located Castillo and recognized him from the employee’s video.

Castillo fought with officers when they went in to arrest him.

Inside Castillo’s car, police found numerous tools, jewelry, knives, checkbooks, social security cards, debit cards, and records containing financial information for numerous individuals. Several of those victims who had their financial information stolen testified during the trial. Several of the victims testified that they had their financial information stolen from their cars during the six months prior to the aggravated robbery.

In addition, several checks and documents containing bank account information were stolen during a burglary of a local business that occurred within hours prior to the aggravated robbery.

Castillo admitted to the burglary and robbery when he was interviewed

by police. The jury was also presented with testimony regarding a robbery committed by Castillo when he was a juvenile as well as a burglary that occurred in August 2018 in rural Burleson County where Castillo stole various tools and silver coins from a residence there.

The case was investigated by the Bryan Police Department and the Brazos County District Attorney’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Steve Zimmerman and Natalie Tise.

“This defendant’s conduct amounted to nothing short of a crime spree.

What started with numerous thefts of people’s most sensitive financial

information culminated with a robbery at gunpoint. We appreciate the

fact that the jury recognized the gravity of the defendant’s choices and

handed down a sentence that will protect our community," said

Steve Zimmerman & Natalie Tise, Assistant District Attorneys.