AURORA, Colo. — A Denver district judge called a quadruple murder suspect who fled to Mexico the "definition of a flight risk" as he set his bond Friday afternoon at $75 million cash only.
Joseph Castorena is accused of killing four people, including three members of the same family, on Oct. 30 in the 900-block of Geneva Street in Aurora. He was being help without bond until a Colorado Supreme Court ruling last month found that was no longer allowed.
The victims were identified as:
- Jesus Serrano, 51
- Maria Anita Serrano, 22
- Kenneth Eugene Green Luque, 20
- Rudolfo Salgado Perez, 49
Three of the victims are relatives of Castorena's ex. The other victim rented an RV on the property and was killed when he came out in the midst of the shooting.
During Friday's hearing, prosecutors asked for a $100 million bond, arguing that this was an "exceptional case."
"I have never seen a crime scene so brutal," Chief Deputy District Attorney Darcy Kofol said. "An entire family was absolutely destroyed by this man."
A guardian who represented five children impacted by the killings noted that two of them lost both of their parents and their grandfather. They're now in foster care.
Castorena's defense said it was their belief that the $100 million bond request from prosecutors was "unconstitutional" and argued that it was equivalent to no bond, because no one except the extremely wealthy could possibly post that. They in turn asked the judge to set Castorena's bond at $100,000 cash or surety.
Kofol noted that the defense request was $300,000 less than the bond amount for Castorena's brother, who is accused of helping him escape to Mexico.
Judge David Karpal set bond at $75 million saying that he was concerned about potential harassment of witnesses and was "deeply" concerned about the safety of any surviving family members.
Karpal said Castorena "is the classic definition of a flight risk" and "poses a clear and unjustifiable risk to society."
If Castorena were to post bond, he'd be subjected to GPS monitoring, home confinement and would be required to check with pre-trial services on a weekly basis.
After the October shooting, investigators developed information that Castorena was in the Mexican state of Zacatecas. They monitored his movements south through the country with the help of federal and Mexican authorities until his arrest in December.
Two of his relatives, including his brother and cousin, are accused of helping him avoid capture immediately following the killings, which was a factor in Karpal's decision.
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