Charges dismissed in three cases involving terminated Antioch police sergeant

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, Calif. - Contra Costa County prosecutors announced on Thursday they will dismiss charges in three criminal cases that involved a fired Antioch police sergeant after his internal affairs report became public under California's new police transparency law.

The district attorney's office reviewed the cases after police Sgt. Santiago Castillo's termination from the force in 2017 became public earlier this year in response to public records requests.

An internal investigation found that Castillo had alerted drug dealers to police investigations and he was dishonest about it when interviewed by investigators. A separate investigation found that he was dishonest reporting his time off. 

Castillo was allowed to resign when he appealed his termination. A settlement stipulated that the results of the investigation would remain confidential even if Castillo applied to work at another police agency. His resignation was effective Dec. 22, 2017.

But changes to the California Public Records Act that took effect earlier this year following the passage of SB 1421 compelled the city to release the records.

After the records were released, the district attorney's office reviewed cases involving Castillo and determined that charges should be dismissed in three cases from 2004.

Two of the cases will be dismissed outright. One defendant was convicted of felony resisting arrest and another was convicted of misdemeanor reckless driving and driving on a suspended license.

A third defendant will have a single count of misdemeanor reckless driving dismissed.

Anyone with information about a prior conviction involving Castillo has been asked to contact the district attorney's office's Conviction Integrity Unit through its website.