CANON CITY, Colo. – A man involved in the beating death of a fellow inmate has been sentenced to four years of supervised probation, with the possibility of facing 20 years in prison if his probation is revoked.
Ricardo Castro, 32, was one of six individuals accused in the attack that resulted in the death of 49-year-old Samuel Garcia in 2022. The incident occurred at Colorado State Penitentiary, where Castro was incarcerated.
Surveillance footage showed that Garcia was physically assaulted by six individuals, including Castro, Miguel Alvarado, Drew Anderson, Enrique Arellano, Dominik Jaramillo, and Jody Mobley. The co-defendants, except for Mobley, are set to appear in court at later dates.
As part of the plea agreement, Castro admitted to two additional counts including manslaughter and criminal attempt to commit assault in the second degree. The terms include four years of supervised probation concurrently with Castro’s current parole, which is a five-year term.
If Castro violates the terms of his probation, he could face a combined sentence of 20 years in the Department of Corrections. The plea agreement does not violate his parole since the events occurred before his mandatory release date from prison in May.
The victim’s family has expressed complete support for the agreement, while Castro’s defense attorney stated that his client has been compliant since being on parole.
The District Judge Kaitlin Turner accepted the pleas, stating that the plea agreement is appropriate, but also warned Castro of the risks if he does not comply with the terms of his probation.
Garcia died as a result of blunt force trauma to the head from the physical assault, and Castro is currently on parole with an estimated discharge date of March 23, 2028, according to the DOC website.