‘Dangerous criminal’ sentenced to prison for Rexburg high speed chase
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REXBURG — An Idaho Falls man who led police on “the worst eluding case Madison County has ever seen” was sentenced to 12 years in prison Monday morning, with five years fixed time and seven years indeterminate.
Seventh District Judge Gregory Moeller told 30-year-old Travis Castro he is a “dangerous criminal” who was “unsuccessful from escaping justice the day he fled from police.”
Castro pleaded guilty last month to eluding, grand theft by possession and possession of a controlled substance. He was the suspect in a stolen gun case at Guns N Gear in Idaho Falls at the time of the police pursuit.
Castro was driving a stolen pick-up truck Aug. 18 when he entered Rexburg driving 50 mph on side streets. Police had him cornered at JB’s Restaurant on West Main Street, but he got away after crashing into a shed.
Six cars were damaged when Castro plowed through the intersection at Main and Center streets. He hit a vehicle that had a woman and child inside, and a four-wheeler in the back of the truck Castro was driving was thrown onto the road.
“This is the worst felony eluding case we have had in this county, and you can see from video of the chase that he had utter disregard,” Madison County Prosecutor Sid Brown said during the sentencing hearing.
Brown recommended Castro serve at least four years in prison for his charges.
Castro’s attorney, Jim Archibald, recommended his client serve a rider.
“He has never been on felony probation, and he has one felony conviction in which he was placed on unsupervised probation,” Archibald said. “Eventually he will need to be released back into the community and he will need to address the issues in his life.”
During a search of the pickup Castro was driving following the chase, detectives learned the vehicle had been stolen from HK Contractors Inc. in Idaho Falls. Investigators recovered four guns from the truck that had been stolen from Guns N Gear.
Idaho Falls Police detective Josh Deede testified during the sentencing hearing that 10 firearms are still missing and that Castro has not cooperated with authorities in finding the guns.
Castro told investigators he ran from police because he was afraid they would “beat him.” Moeller responded that he believes Castro fled because he didn’t want to be accountable for his actions.
Sentencing details
On the eluding charge, Castro was sentenced the maximum penalty of five years in prison with three years fixed and two years indeterminate.
On the theft charge, Castro was sentenced to seven years in prison with two years fixed and five years indeterminate.
On the possession of a controlled substance charge, Castro was sentenced to six years in prison with two years fixed and four years indeterminate.
The eluding sentence will run consecutively with the other two felony charges.
The combined prison sentence is 12 years in prison with five years fixed and seven year indeterminate.
Castro was also ordered to pay a $5,000 fine and his drivers license will be suspended for three years when he is released from prison.
Castro will still be sentenced in Bonneville County on one felony count of burglary and one felony count of grand theft. Two other charges were dismissed Oct. 18 as part of a plea agreement.
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