EVERETT — Two Sultan brothers belonging to a small-town gang are headed to prison for the brutal murder of a rival gang member.
Marco Castillo, 20, and Adolfo Castillo, 17, admitted Tuesday that they took part in the beating and stabbing death of Antonio Marks in June. Marks, 17, of Marysville, was left for dead a few feet from Sultan’s City Hall.
Snohomish County deputy prosecutor Tobin Darrow on Tuesday blamed Marks’ death on a gang rivalry.
The Castillos and three other teens implicated in the slaying were members of the Sultan-based gang Brown Pride Soldiers, according to charging papers.
Marco Castillo is suspected of being the leader, Darrow said. The gang held weekly meetings and members were expected to pay dues, he said.
Marks was a member the Southland Villains, a rival gang, court papers said. He also was dating the Castillos’ sister at the time of his death.
Investigators learned that in May, the gang leaders made it clear they were at war with each other. They were expected to assault any rival they encountered on the street, Darrow said.
“It’s very clear this was a gang-related killing,” he said.
A video surveillance camera captured the slaying on tape. The tape shows Marks being kicked repeatedly in the head and then stabbed several times in the chest.
Marks was kicked so hard investigators found several different shoe tread patterns on his head. Authorities initially believed the head injuries contributed to his death. They now believe only the stab wounds were fatal.
The brutal attack lasted 43 seconds.
The Castillos pleaded guilty Tuesday to second-degree murder. Marco Castillo also admitted that he was armed with a knife at the time of the killing.
The other suspects charged with second-degree murder are: Jaime Santana, 16; Ana Cary Ayala Bustos, 16; and Ivette Rico, 18, all of Sultan.
All were teens at the time of the attack and were charged as adults.
Santana pleaded guilty last month to second-degree murder. He is expected to be sentenced next month.
Rico and Bustos are scheduled to go to trial early next year.
The Castillos were scheduled for a hearing last week to decide whether prosecutors would be able to use evidence gathered against them. Instead, the brothers agreed to plead guilty as charged.
Marco Castillo faces up to 20 years in prison. His brother is facing 18 years.
As part of the plea agreement, prosecutors will recommend a 12-year sentence for the older Castillo and a 10-year term for Adolfo Castillo.
Marco Castillo is accused of throwing the first punch and repeatedly stabbing Marks.
The attack came hours after Marks came to the Castillos’ house on Cedar Street in Sultan and got into some sort of dispute with Marco Castillo. Marks left, but the teens later ran into each other on the street.
Marks yelled something at the group. Marco Castillo knocked Marks to the ground.
The video shows Marco Castillo standing over Marks and punching him several times.
Marks didn’t fight back, falling flat on his back after the first blow.
Marco Castillo then backs away and the other four teenagers are seen kicking Marks in the head, prosecutors allege.
The video then shows Marco Castillo stab Marks several times in the chest while the other teens continued to kick the motionless Marks in the head, court papers said.
Marco Castillo allegedly told investigators he didn’t intend to kill Marks but wanted to hurt him enough that he couldn’t retaliate.
Diana Hefley: 425-339-3463; hefley@heraldnet.com.
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