Everett, Wash.
Published: Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Sultan teens in court on murder charges

Sultan officials are holding a meeting tonight to discuss the slaying.

By Diana Hefley
Herald Writer

 EVERETT -- Four of the five Sultan teens accused of beating and stabbing a Marysville teen to death on a downtown Sultan street made their first appearances in Snohomish County Superior Court on Monday.

The teens pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder in the June 17 death of Antonio Marks.

Marks, 17, was found lying in a pool of blood a few feet from City Hall. A video surveillance camera caught the killing on tape, said Snohomish County deputy prosecutor Kathy Jo Blake. The tape shows Marks being repeatedly kicked in the head and then stabbed several times in the torso.

Investigators reported that several different shoe tread patterns were found on Marks' head. He died of a head injury and stab wounds, according to court papers.

All of the defendants are members of a Sultan-based gang Brown Pride Soldiers, or BPS, according to the charging documents filed Friday. Marks also was believed to be a member of a rival gang and dating the sister of two of the defendants.

Charged are Marco Castillo, 19; his brother Adolfo Castillo, 16; Jaime Michel, 16; Ana Cary Ayala Bustos, 16; and Ivette Rico, 17.

Marco Castillo is being housed in the Snohomish County Jail. The other four are jailed at the Denney Juvenile Justice Center. All are charged as adults and are being held on $1 million bail. If convicted they face more than 18 years in prison.

Ana Cary Ayala Bustos didn't appear in court Monday. Her attorney was unable to wait for Ayala Bustos to be moved from Denney to the county lockup for the hearing. Ayala Bustos is expected to be arraigned today.

Meanwhile Sultan leaders are planning to meet with the community tonight to discuss the fatal attack in downtown. City officials have said they've worked to give young people in Sultan constructive and safe ways to spend their time. They want to look at what more can be done, Sultan officials said.

Members of the county's Gang Community Response Team are meeting in Monroe tonight to provide parents with information about keeping their kids out of gangs.

Police have identified gang members in every city in Snohomish County. Nationwide more gang activity is being reported in rural communities, such as Sultan.

Diana Hefley: 425-339-3463, hefley@heraldnet.com.

Sultan community meeting

Sultan city officials have scheduled a community meeting to discuss the June 17th fatal stabbing at 7 tonight at the Volunteers of America Sky Valley Resource Center, 701 First St.

Discussion on gang activity

The Snohomish County Gang Community Response Team has a meeting planned to discuss gang activity at 6:30 to 8 tonight at the Monroe Library, 1070 Village Way, Monroe.

For more information about gangs, including prevention and intervention resources, or to report gang activity, call the county's gang tip line at 425-388-6666 or go to www.wevaluekids.org/gangs.
© 2009The Daily Herald Co., Everett, WA