Driver faces homicide charge in fatal DUI crash

A Lake County woman was arraigned on DUI by homicide charges in Lake County Court.

The rollover crash occurred Sept. 1 on Moise Valley Road, which resulted in one fatality. The driver, Lindsay Elizabeth Castrillo, was arraigned in Judge Deborah Kim Christopher’s court Nov. 21 on one charge of vehicular homicide while under influence, a felony.

Castrillo entered an initial plea of not guilty. According to court documents, Castrillo had a blood alcohol content of 0.14. The front seat passenger was not

wearing a seat belt, and was killed instantly when ejected from the vehicle as it rolled several times. A second passenger survived.

In other court news:

- Benny Van Finley, Jr., was found not guilty in a jury trial Nov. 22 on a charge of aggravated assault stemming from an incident that took place while Finley was in jail on other charges.

According to court documents, the victim was hit several times and was taken to the hospital with injuries, including a fractured orbital socket.

Finley could have faced up to 20 years in prison, in addition to the sentences for the original charges.

Finley pleaded guilty Aug. 21 to two charges: fleeing from or eluding a police officer (misdemeanor), a reduction from the original charge of felony criminal

endangerment; and criminal possession of dangerous drugs (felony).

Finley was sentenced to one year in jail on the misdemeanor, with all suspended. On the felony charge, he received five years commitment to Dept. of Corrections with none suspended, plus court and public defender fees, with credit for 177 days served.

- In another trial Nov. 25, a jury took 15 minutes to return a unanimous guilty verdict for Tyler Frederick Erickson on a charge of assault on a peace or judicial officer, after threatening two probation officers with a knife while on probation.

Sentencing is set for Jan. 15, 2020.