A minor traffic collision in Golden Gate quickly escalated into an armed robbery, according to Collier County deputies. Sebastian Castillo, now in custody, allegedly brandished a firearm at another driver, demanding money before taking off with the man's work phone.
On Tuesday night, Andro Rodriguez was driving his work van on Hunter Boulevard near 19th Court when he noticed a black SUV repeatedly trying to pass him. Eventually, the SUV struck the front of Rodriguez's van. Rodriguez expected a routine exchange of information after the collision. But, what happened next left him and his family shaken.
In his statement to authorities, Rodriguez recounted how Castillo got out of the SUV, approached his van, and took out a gun, holding it at his waist. Rodriguez described how Castillo cocked the firearm, then swung open Rodriguez's car door, pointing the weapon directly at him with his finger on the trigger.
"So I thought he was going to do a police report because he hit me. And after that, he got out of the car and he got his gun. Right on his belly, he was holding it. Then he cocked it, and then that's when he opened up the door, and he started pointing the gun at me, you know, with a finger on the trigger and everything," Rodriguez said.
According to Rodriguez, Castillo then demanded money, threatening to shoot if he didn’t comply. Castillo snatched Rodriguez's work phone, an iPhone 14, and quickly left the scene in the black SUV. Deputies quickly tracked the phone to an address on 50th Terrace Southwest, where officers found a black Porsche matching the SUV’s description. Castillo later admitted to taking the phone, saying he was going to give it back.
Deputies at the scene arrested Castillo, who matched Rodriguez’s description. Inside the SUV, officers found the stolen phone and a Glock 45 handgun with a live round chambered. Additional ammunition, including a loaded magazine and an extended magazine, was discovered in the vehicle.
"I never had an experience like that in my life, you know, that's the first time. I was nervous. Adrenaline going through your body, you're rushing, you don't know what to think," Rodriguez said.
Castillo appeared in Collier County court Wednesday, where a judge ordered no bond on charges of armed robbery, grand theft, and leaving the scene of a crash.