Blackfoot man charged with child’s death pleads not guilty
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BLACKFOOT — A Blackfoot man charged with murder for his alleged role in the death of an 18-month-old boy has pleaded not guilty.
Jesus Castillo entered the not-guilty plea during his arraignment in Bingham County District Court on Thursday afternoon. His trial has been set for Sept. 11.
Castillo is facing a first-degree murder charge in the death of Zachary Tendoy, who, East Idaho News reports, was his girlfriend’s son.
Castillo is accused of causing the child to hit his head and striking the victim’s abdominal area, resulting in the injuries that led to his death, according to court records.
While talking to law enforcement officers, doctors described the attack as “very violent” and compared the child’s injuries to those that someone of his size would sustain in a car crash at 70 miles per hour while only wearing a seat belt across his lap, according to court records.
Law enforcement officers interviewed Castillo about what happened at the 1600 block of Camas Street in the early morning hours of March 23.
Castillo told them he had been drinking that day, according to court records. Tendoy had been asleep, but woke up and crawled out of his playpen. Castillo heard a thud and went into the bedroom where he found the child and gave him a bottle.
Later in the hallway, the child was whiny so Castillo told officers that he pushed him down into the door jam of the bathroom. When Tendoy got up and followed him, Castillo heel kicked him in the stomach area, according to court records. The child fell again and hit the wall and trim of the doorway.
Castillo said he felt bad and gave the child a vanilla wafer before carrying him to his playpen, but he later picked him back up and shook him several times after the child continued to cry, according to court records. He then put Tendoy in the playpen again.
Tendoy reportedly crawled back out of the playpen and fell on the floor, according to court records. Castillo went to check on the child when he heard a thud, and he found him lying on the floor.
Castillo picked the child up, woke up his girlfriend, who had gone to sleep earlier, and called 911, according to court reports.
Castillo said he started chest compressions and then his girlfriend took over until emergency officials arrived.
Tendoy was transported to Bingham Memorial Hospital in Blackfoot and then to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center in Idaho Falls. He later died.
If convicted of first-degree murder, Castillo faces up to life in prison and a $50,000 fine. The prosecutor is not seeking the death penalty in this case.
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This story was originally published in the Idaho State Journal. It is used here with permission.