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Marine Recruiter Sentenced to Up to 40 Years After Stabbing 11-Year-Old at Sleepover; Kneels in Court to Beg Forgiveness

Quick summary: Ricardo Perez Castillo, a 25-year-old Marine Corps recruiter, pleaded no contest to assault with intent to murder, first-degree home invasion and related charges for a June 15, 2024 attack in Rockford, Michigan. Prosecutors say he entered a home, removed his clothing and stabbed an 11-year-old girl who was sleeping at a sleepover; the homeowner restrained him until police arrived. The victim’s statement described severe pain and fear. Castillo knelt at sentencing and asked for forgiveness; he was sentenced to up to 40 years.

10:54 AM, 12/02/2025Society
Marine Recruiter Sentenced to Up to 40 Years After Stabbing 11-Year-Old at Sleepover; Kneels in Court to Beg Forgiveness

A U.S. Marine Corps recruiter, Ricardo Perez Castillo, 25, was sentenced to up to 40 years in prison after pleading no contest to multiple charges related to a violent June 15, 2024 attack in Rockford, Michigan.

Attack and arrest

Prosecutors say Castillo entered a home on the 8000 block of Ella Terrace Court in the early morning, armed himself with a kitchen knife and removed his pants and underwear before going upstairs. He allegedly forced his way into a bedroom where two children were sleeping during a sleepover. One child—an 11-year-old—was sleeping on an air mattress and was stabbed multiple times before the homeowner intervened and held Castillo at gunpoint until police arrived.

Charges and evidence

Castillo pleaded no contest to assault with intent to murder, first-degree home invasion, and second-degree assault with intent to commit criminal sexual conduct. Kent County prosecutors described a sequence in which Castillo checked several rooms, entered the third bedroom and climbed onto the air mattress above the victim before the attack. Investigators say Castillo later made statements to police indicating an intent to kill and a disturbing alleged sexual motive; those statements were cited at the plea and sentencing hearings.

“This case is disturbing on so many levels,” Judge Christina Mims said at sentencing, calling the attack like a “real-life horror show” and noting it was by chance the victim survived.

Victim impact

The victim’s written statement was read in court. She described severe pain, seeing and smelling her blood, and profound fear: “I remember being in a lot of pain on the floor... I was terrified. I never would have guessed an innocent sleepover would have left me in the hospital with bad injuries.”

Defendant’s remarks and sentence

At sentencing, Castillo knelt in court and asked for forgiveness, saying he had been "a lost person" and had found God. He said he did not deserve forgiveness but asked the families and the community to forgive him. The judge sentenced him to a term that can run up to 40 years in prison. The plea and sentence conclude the criminal proceedings for now.

This account reflects allegations and court findings reported at the plea and sentencing hearings. The victim survived the attack; prosecutors and the court emphasized the lasting trauma to the family and community.

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