A transient man who stabbed another man in the chest because he believed he’d been sold fake gold jewelry was sentenced Wednesday to more than 18 years in prison.
Henry Castillo, 57, previously pleaded guilty in Clark County Superior Court to first-degree robbery in connection with the April 22 altercation. As part of his plea agreement, a charge of first-degree assault was dismissed.
The prosecution and defense recommended an agreed-upon exceptional sentence of 220 months, which included a deadly weapon enhancement.
The victim, Scott Allen Chappelle, 45, suffered internal bleeding from the stab wound and required a chest tube to drain it, according to an affidavit of probable cause.
Vancouver police were called about 8:40 a.m. to the 1300 block of Lincoln Street for a reported stabbing. Chappelle said a man named Henry, later identified by police as Castillo, stabbed him. He met with Castillo to sell him a gold ring, he said, but during the transaction, Castillo stabbed him and took the ring, the affidavit states.
Police returned to the scene about two hours later and spotted Castillo, who was known to them, in his vehicle. Castillo sped off but was stopped near 13th and Daniels streets, court records say.
Castillo admitted to being involved in an altercation with Chappelle earlier that morning. He said he paid Chappelle $40 for gold jewelry that turned out to be fake. When he confronted Chappelle about the jewelry and demanded his money back, Chappelle refused and ran away. Castillo said he chased Chappelle and punched him while he had a folding knife in his hand. The knife was closed, Castillo said, but opened when he threw the punch, accidentally stabbing Chappelle, according to court documents.
Police reportedly found the jewelry and folding knife in Castillo’s vehicle.
Castillo has convictions from 1992 for attempted murder and second-degree robbery in California, according to the prosecution.
