Lena A. Castillo, 23, awaits her turn to go before a judge as she makes a first appearance in court regarding an assault charge.
By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
CHEHALIS – Prosecutors allege the stabbing victim from this weekend’s bar fight in Chehalis started the physical altercation but the other young woman with a small knife continued attacking her after she stopped fighting and was on the ground.
Lena A. Castillo, 23, told police she was standing outside Garbes bar smoking a cigarette when 22-year-old Ashley Stewart confronted her, said something and grabbed her by the hair, according to charging documents.
“If you want to talk sh*t, let’s go,” Stewart allegedly said to her.
Castillo told police it was about Castillo’s ex-boyfriend.
The incident, caught on video outside Garbe’s Bar and Grill, shows Stewart approach Castillo and strike her and the two women beginning to fight, according to charging documents. But it also shows Castillo attacking Stewart until someone pulls her away, the documents allege.
Chehalis police called it mutual combat and said this morning they can’t prove who owns the pair of brass knuckles that turned up in the restroom where the stabbing victim was tended to by friends.
It all happened about 12:30 a.m. on Saturday on the 300 block of Northwest Chehalis Avenue in an area with five bars along the same stretch.
Both of the young women are from Centralia.
Castillo was charged today with first-degree assault. A judge set her bail at $75,000.
Charging documents offer other details as described by Chehalis police:
Arriving officers noticed Castillo bleeding from a cut on her pinky finger. They found in her jeans pocket a small silver object – a lighter-knife combination with a double-edged blade.
Police observed a blood trail leading through the bar and into the bathroom where Stewart was located.
Stewart was taken to Providence Centralia Hospital where she was treated for four stab wounds to her stomach and one to each leg.
Castillo told police she didn’t know how her finger got cut and denied stabbing Stewart.
Chehalis Police Department detective Sgt. Gary Wilson said Castillo suffered bumps and bruises, none of the injuries significant, including some bruising on her head.
“We can’t tell from what,” Wilson said.
In Lewis County Superior Court this afternoon, Lewis County Chief Criminal Deputy Prosecutor Brad Meagher told the judge the video is very clear as he argued for high bail.
Castillo, who according to information in her court documents is 5-feet 2-inches tall and 129 pounds, said very little as she sat at the defense table, shackled both around her waist and at her ankles.
Defense attorney Bob Schroeter said Castillo works part-time babysitting and has only four minor previous contacts with the law.
Castillo has a misdemeanor theft conviction from 2010, according to prosecutors.
Meagher, when asked outside the courtroom about the possibility brass knuckles were used in the fight, indicated it wouldn’t make a difference.
“I’ll leave that up to the jury,” Meagher said.
Castillo’s arraignment is scheduled for Thursday.
•••
For background, read:
• “Police: “Mutual combat” between two women in Saturday assault outside bar” from Monday January 14, 2013 at 12:19 p.m., here
• “Woman arrested after stabbing outside Chehalis bar” from Saturday January 12, 2013 at 6:50 p.m., here
Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter
Castillo is at it again, folks! Can’t keep her hands to herself. Again, she was hanging out in a bar and assaulting other people instead of being home with her children where she belongs. Cut off her welfare, take away her kids (she just had ANOTHER one for us to support – by the way) and put her in jail where she belongs!
toward DISGUSTED-I never stated anything about their prior lifestyles before this altercation did i? calling me a liar on the well being of my niece and nephew. i would like to state to anyone reading this, my niece and nephew are far away from any of this. its sad that people talk unnecessary garbage about the children.. assuming they are from different father..was that suppose to be stereotypical bash? does it make a difference wither or not my sister had a full time job, that most Lewis county citizens are still searching for a job..NOT A PART TIME A FULL TIME position. you don’t have to be educated to raise a family.
Abusing the system….what system???? the one I pay taxes also too..if you’re so concern about your taxes supporting unnecessary families..do something legal about it until then watch those dollars signs get removed from your pay stub and hush up. who are you to say who can and can not get assistance. if my sister did, who cares since you want to assume..lets turn the tables..did you write her supposedly welfare check?if you didn’t why don’t you move out of the county and quit paying taxes then if your so concerned? ya we all get flustered on how much our hard earned money is typical wasted, but guess what nothing is going to happen…(way off subject) going back.. is it really relevant to the situation the if shes on welfare? I am simply stating that my niece and nephew are not on any sort of state benefit at this moment and have not been affected of this altercation because they are too young to hear the truth, until they are old enough, I’m going to let a them grow up as children, that came and to visit for vacation. unfortunately, they now must stay in my home until justice is prevailed on their mother/my sister. And get the fact straight and remember DISGUSTED, never is a strong word. i clearly stated they are NOT ON WELFARE.
And i guarantee if my sister is proven guilty those kids will NEVER be on “the system.”
if you think im full of non sense or you want to judge me because the action of my sister, go ahead it’s not like i haven’t heard it before just leave the children out of it.
the reason why i answer this page is because I’m feel like telling you the truth since you asked. anymore questions DISGUSTED?
This is what’s wrong with people these days, unedicated and or on drugs can lead to not making the rite desicions for your own good and acting on Anger, which then affects your entire Family from your bad judgement of others. Guess What: anyone who talks crap about one or hears crap about one is usually faults so if your a person who believes rumors maybe you need to step back and look at yourself as a decent human being cause you can only be your own judge on others by witnessing things with your own eyes first. With Education and no more ignorance on judging others from someone elses mouth you will succeed in this World cause you kill people with Kindness instead of Hate and you will get out of otheres amazing things in Life and Prison isn’t one of them now is it. The 3 Resorces all us humans have is LOVE, PRAYER, and FORGIVENESS!!!
Guilty Bystander – Great idea! I’d pay $39.95 to get them both off the streets for good. We pay so much more in taxpayer dollars providing for them and their kids, I would consider it a bargain.
And to “I speak for the innocent children . . .” – Are you actually claiming that Castillo totally supports her children and always has? Has she worked full time since she had them? Has she worked an honest job at all? When she gave birth to them, did she or the father(s) had(ve) their own medical coverage for herself and the kids which paid for all of her and the children’s medical expenses with no state assistance whatsoever? Does she continue to support them and provide for 100% of their medical and other needs to this day? How? I bet the kids aren’t all from the same father, are they?
Are you really expecting people to believe that she has never received state financial, medical or food assistance of any kind? Because if you are, I’m calling you out. I think you’re LIAR. She is exactly the type of person that does use the system and thinks nothing of it. So is the idiot that attacked her. If she was busy working for a living, she’d be raising her own kids and not hanging out at Garbe’s.
And to say that her kids have not been affected by this situation is also bullshit. If their mother is out in bars fighting other dumb bitches instead of being at home caring for her children, they are most definitely affected by her behavior, you moron. So STFU while you’re ahead.
Wow. I think that sums it up.
I really hope Lena can get this case dismissed or at least down to probation or something. She is a good person and doesn’t deserve all of this. I just hope that she can get away from all of the drama and better her life.
this is toward “wanna be gangster she is says”-“ashley”
Why waste the breath on, but I will state it again to those that assume they know the status of her children. CASTILLO DID NOT give her children up nor did she get them taken away from the state. This is my second post concerning this topic about faulty rumors. If it keeps getting deleted I will continue to post up over and over. Castillo’s children are in great care and have not been affected with this situation. AND THEY ARE NOT ON WELFARE. Leave the innocent children out of the topics of ridiculous rumors said about them. If Castillo is proven guilty, her children will not be in the care of the state ( WELFARE-FOOD STAMPS-and what ever else us taxpayer pay). If people say they are welfare children, get the facts straight before bashing innocents children. If you can prove they are awarded to the state, report on the legal documentation regarding Castillo’s children until then, them leave them out of the situation. People want proof that this comment/statement is true investigate harder. The truth is not hidden.
Just read your last sentence, disgusted, and had a thought: They could create an “Ashley Versus Lena: The Final Confrontation” pay-per-view event and use the proceeds to help defray the cost of operating the County Jail.
If a pro rassling group like TNA can charge $39.95 for pay-per-views of guys pretending to try, the LCSO could charge that kind of coin to televise two women who seriously want to harm each other. I’m being facetious, but only a little.
Agreed @wowzer and @LCObserver. They both sound like the typical pieces of shit I am constantly bitching about on this site but if video shows that Ashley attacked the other girl first, why shouldn’t she get stabbed in self defense? And if someone comes up and starts punching me, and I get the better of them with a knife, why do I have to stop just because the aggressor goes down? What if I back off and they come at me again? What if Castillo had been carrying a gun, as I do, and shot her right in her face? Sounds like we’d have solved two problems for society with one in jail and the other one six feet under and off the welfare rolls. It’s a good thing Castillo didn’t say much in court. I don’t want to see her hurting her case. Let her out and let these two dumb bitches finish each other off.
Sounds like that Ashley chick got herself into something she wasn’t ready to handle. If she indeed did use the brass knuckles on Castillo (as many witness’ are saying) Castillo has a strong case. From the sounds of it she has a strong self defense case. The video probably shows this
Everyone knows those are Ashleys brass knuckles. Get statements from Ashleys ‘friends’ and family about it. Better yet, get her damn cell phone and FB records. Not only will they find she bragged about the brass knuckles, the fight, they will find several threats made to Lena. This has been brewing for quite a while. All over a damn gang banger who is locked up! They both have gang affiation, they both cater to the thugs in town. Thier doors are open and revolving to the gang members. At least Lena doesnt have her kids, for whatever reason they are not in her care. (thank GOD) Dont portray Ashley as a victim, hell she isnt even doing that! She’s damn proud of herself. Both these females need to be charged. Get them both off the streets. Using the system, welfare, low income housing, food stamps, letting people live with you, a revolving door for the gang bangers to come and go is not raising your children properly nor is it you taking care of yourself. Funny how her friends are all talking about how Ashley started it, Ashley deserved what she got, Ashley has always thought she was bad ass behind her back and then sticking up for her in her face. Its almost comical but considering there are small children involved its sickening. Let the long drawn out court battle begin. Let the tax payers foot the bill because these two deserve to have a fair trial. (gag) Dont hang one and not the other, they BOTH deserve to go down. Neither one of them have been productive, self supporting members of society. The entitlement generation. Im wondering what will cost tax payers more, prison or all the government programs they have been using? Make sure to put a shout out to all the hard working americans that have been paying your way thus far, and will continue with this court case. Be proud, be real proud. P.S. I think the “friends” are doing a great job defending these two publicly.
she is a wanna be loser that gave up her kids for the dope game or “gang” life throw her away with the rest of the trash! she is no use to society, she jumped the victim before and doesnt need to see the streeets. i would consider her attack on ashely to be attempted murder witht the fact that after ashely stopped fighting this dumby kept stabbing her. throw her in a cel and throw away the keys. people like this is why our society is crap. they need to grow up or get locked up simple as that.
Wow all I have to say is she is crazy she jumped the victim a month before this with three other girls….. She is a loss cause to this society…… A druggie gangster wanna be…… She dnt even take care of her kids she left them…… She is a no good piece of crap……she deserves life in prison….
Castillo does BABY-SITTING??? When she tells kids to go to bed, they’d damned well be under the covers pronto.
THEY CAN DO DNA ON THEM BRASSKNUCKLES FIND OUT WHOS BLOOD IT IS ……?
Screw that they need to do a better job investigating and talking to witnesses. If u don’t get a sweet ass plea deal take it all the way to jury there are plenty of witnesses that saw the brass knuckles. Fight this as long as u can and stay strong.