CHICAGO — A 15-time convicted felon, on bail for a pending Class X armed habitual criminal charge, was found lying next to a gun in a church parking lot near the Kennedy Expressway, prosecutors say. Elkin Castillo, 47, is now charged with another count of Class X armed habitual criminal.
His latest troubles began around 5:51 a.m. Tuesday when Chicago police received a call of a person with a gun outside St. Stanislaus Kostka Church, 1351 West Evergreen. The church is right next to the Kennedy, opposite the Salt Shed.
When officers arrived, they found Castillo unconscious in the church parking lot with a gun lying next to him, prosecutors said this week. The cops secured the loaded 9-millimeter pistol and took Castillo into custody.
During his bail hearing this week, the assistant public defender who represented Castillo said he lives with his three children and works in construction.
Judge David Kelly ordered him to pay a $50,000 bail deposit to be released on electronic monitoring. Separately, Kelly held Castillo without bail for violating bond in the already-pending armed habitual criminal case.
That charge was filed on March 13, 2021, after Chicago police officers responding to a call of a person with a gun allegedly saw him toss a loaded firearm under an SUV in the 1300 block of South Central Park. In court the next day, Castillo’s public defender told Judge David Navarro that Castillo could not afford to pay any monetary bail. Nonetheless, Castillo walked out of jail two days later after someone posted a $5,000 bail deposit on his behalf, officials said.
Castillo also violated the March 2021 bail terms in February when he was charged with possessing a controlled substance. The violation was withdrawn a month later after prosecutors dropped the narcotics charge.
His extensive criminal background includes robberies in 2001 and 2004, four felony DUIs, seven thefts, identity theft, and attempted burglary, according to prosecutors.