Father Alejandro "Alex" Jose Castillo
Ordained: 1981
Removed: 2010
Assigned as follows:
- 1982: Casa Guadalupe (Los Angeles, CA)
- 1983-1988: St. John The Evangelist (Los Angeles, CA)
- 1989-1989: St. Anthony (San Bernardino, CA)
- 1991-1996: Divine Word Seminary (Riverside, CA)
- 1997-2000: Unknown
- 2000-2003: St. Catherine of Siena Church (Rialto, CA)
- 2006-2007: St. George (Ontario, CA)
- 2003-2010: Our Lady of Guadalupe (Ontario, CA)
Summary of Abuse Allegations against Father Alejandro Jose Castillo:
According to media reports, in June 2010, Fr. Alejandro Jose Castillo was accused of molesting two adolescent brothers in 2008 while serving Our Lady of Guadalupe in Ontario, California. Castillo was removed from active ministry and the Diocese of San Bernardino reported the allegations to the police. A review board found allegations credible and were made public in a letter read at weekend Mass at the four churches where he had served.
To show their support for Castillo, over 200 parishioners held a demonstration near the headquarters of the Diocese of San Bernardino. A few weeks after the demonstration, Castillo was arrested in October 2010 and tried for seven counts of lewd and lascivious acts with a child under the age of 14 and one count of forcible lewd and lascivious acts with a child under the age of 14. According to media reports, in April 2011, he pleaded no contest and in August he was sentenced to a year in jail and three years probation. He was ordered to register as a sex offender for life. He served eight months and when he was released from jail in April 2012, his supporters organized a celebration that was attended by children. He was rearrested in May for violating his probation.
There was a sentencing report from the San Bernardino County Probation Department, accusing Castillo of sexually abusing five more former parishioners. Authorities said charges were not filed due to insufficient evidence or because the alleged crimes occurred beyond the statute of limitations. Two separate civil suits were filed against Castillo and the Diocese of San Bernardino, in 2011. Another suit in 2012 alleges that sexual abuse by Castillo occurred as far back as the 1970s, and the church knew about it. Two of the three lawsuits have been settled for $3.8 million in February 2014.
In October 2018, Castillo was included in the Diocese of San Bernardino's list of clergy credibly accused of child sexual abuse. His current whereabouts are unknown.
Horowitz Law is a law firm representing victims and survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic priests and other clergy in the Diocese of San Bernardino. If you need a lawyer because you were sexually abused by a priest in San Bernardino, contact our office today. Although many years have passed, those abused by Catholic clergy in the Diocese of San Bernardino now have legal options to recover damages due to a compensation fund created for victims. Call us at 888-283-9922 or send an email to adam@adamhorowitzlaw.com to discuss your options today.