NEWS: Castro family connected to Blood Money
By Alesia Quinata
(Tumon, Guam) Andrew Castro's connections to high-placed people and the gaming industry on Guam has helped him to get away with his violent crimes thus far. The Guam Police Department has not yet arrested Andrew Castro for attempted burglary and domestic violence. One of his victims, Eugenio Estrellado, spent today trying to secure a restraining order against Mr. Castro. He was turned away from help from the Attorney General's Office because the AG had not yet received any police report of the crimes from the GPD.
Around 10:30 p.m. last night the first two of six police officers began responding to a call for criminal complaint against Mr. Castro placed by Jean Pierre Estrellado at around 8:30 p.m. A police officer at the Hagatna Precinct identifying himself as Officer Galo took the call for service and began mocking Jean Pierre, then told him that he will be sending a unit to respond to his complaint. Jean Pierre is the younger brother of Eugenio Estrellado, who originally called police Tuesday after reviewing footage of his neighbor, Andrew Castro, attempting to break into his home and assault him. Four police officers arrived, including Mr. Castro's close friend, Officer Tim Flores. The four officers did not take the evidence Eugenio was offering nor did they arrest Mr. Castro.
(NOTE: The video above contains the audio recording of Jean Pierre Estrellado's call to the Hagatna Precinct Sunday night. The person who answered at the precinct identified himself as Officer Galo. According to a Guam Police Department report from 2018, the only Galo listed was a Police Officer II Alexander Galo, who is pictured in this video with Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero, police chief Stephen Ignacio, and Sgt. Ken Castro)
At around 10 p.m., or one-and-a-half hours after Mr. Galo told Jean Pierre he would be sending a unit, Kandit began its live stream in front of the Estrellado residence. Scores of angry viewers began calling the Hagatna Precinct to report the same crimes on behalf of the Estrellados. Even Speaker Tina Muna Barnes and Senator James Moylan placed phone calls on behalf of the Estrellados to the GPD.
Chirag Bhojwani, the speaker's policy advisor, informed our viewers that Ms. Muna Barnes called the Hagatna Precinct and spoke with Officers Mabini and Galo, and that Mr. Galo said he would then dispatch a unit to the residence. That was nearly two hours after Mr. Galo said he would send a unit.
Two officers arrived and started taking the Estrellados's statements before a crime scene investigator arrived to take evidence. Two more officers arrived and, following a decision to take Mr. Castro in, made their way to his parents's home. His parents are Carmen and Larry Castro. Larry Castro is a retired Guam Police captain and former assistant Federal Security Director at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Transportation Security Administration Guam office.
Officers spoke briefly with the couple before making their way to Andrew Castro's home. After about 10 minutes of knocking, a sixth Guam Police officer showed up to the scene before all the officers left the scene without arresting Andrew Castro.
One of the officers said he was not answering at the home.
Andrew Castro works at the seaport as a stevedore. He was hired there by Joanne Brown in 2017 while she was the seaport's general manager. She promoted him shortly before she left office. Andrew Castro also poses a Transportation Worker Identification Credential card, which provides him federal clearance to work on the highly-secured docks. The card is issued by TSA, the federal agency, where his father held the second highest position on island.
This story of the Estrellados being victimized, calling for police help, and the police so far failing to arrest the man seen on several pieces of surveillance footage destroying property, attempting to burglarize, positioning himself to assault the Estrellados, and actually assaulting his girlfriend, has raised tempers and fears among residents. Hundreds of Kandit's viewers are asking why Andrew Castro is being allowed to get away with his crimes.
One of the answers we have given to viewers is Larry Castro's rather extensive connections to the police department and even to a federal agency. But Kandit has found something else.
Larry Castro is a gameroom owner and part of the Blood Money gaming industry.
Kandit previously reported his ownership of C&B3 Corporation, dba Downtown King B Restaurant and Lounge in Anigua. According to records Kandit obtained from the Department of Revenue and Taxation in November 2019, Larry Castro is the president of the company and the resident agent of its license to host liberty machines connected to Guam Music, Inc.
One of the principals of Guam Music, Inc. is the former deputy manager of the seaport, Connie Jo Brennan Shinohara.
