UPDATED: 7:16 p.m., Tuesday:
Kevin Carl Castiglia, 55, was charged Tuesday evening with three counts each of criminal homicide, terroristic threats with intent, abuse of a corpse, and reckless endangerment. He also is facing simple assault, resisting arrest, and possession of an instrument of crime with intent. District Judge Brian Marriott preliminarily arraigned the defendant and ordered him remanded to the Bucks County Correctional Facility without bail due to the homicide charges.
The 55-year-old Northampton Township man’s previous charges filed earlier in the day were withdrawn by prosecutors once the homicide case was lodged.
The Bucks County Detectives and township police were at the crime scene on Heather Road Tuesday afternoon.
Bucks County District Attorney Joe Khan and Northampton Township police plan to hold a press conference Wednesday afternoon on the case.
Credit: Tom Sofield/NewtownPANow.comOriginal Story:
The names of the three people found dead inside a Northampton Township home were released in court papers filed Tuesday.
Frederick, 90, and Judith Castiglia, 84, who lived in the Heather Road residence for decades, and their daughter, Deborah Castiglia, 53, of Plumstead Township, a math teacher at William Tennent High School in Centennial School District, were found deceased inside the family home on Monday, according to a criminal complaint and public records.
Bucks County District Attorney Joe Khan told reporters the deaths are being investigated as homicides.
Kevin Carl Castiglia, 55, who also lived at the Heather Road home, is charged in the parricides and sororicide with two counts each of misdemeanor counts of terroristic threats, simple assault, recklessly endangering another person, and possessing instruments of crime. No homicide charges were filed as of noon.
The charges stem from an encounter with officers responding to a well-being check, not directly from the deaths themselves, investigators said.
Khan said Northampton Township police, Bucks County Detectives, and prosecutors continue to probe the deaths.
Kevin Castiglia is in law enforcement custody and will be preliminarily arraigned on the initial charges at some point, officials said.
“This was an isolated incident, and there is no ongoing danger to the community,” the district attorney said.
Credit: Tom Sofield/NewtownPANow.comAccording to the affidavit, police were first contacted Monday by Deborah Castiglia’s boyfriend, who reported he had not heard from her since Saturday and went to her parents’ home looking for her.
The boyfriend told investigators that when Kevin Castiglia answered the door on Monday, he allegedly threatened him with a large knife, leading him to call 9-1-1.
Police wrote in court papers that the victim’s boyfriend described the knife as a chef’s knife.
Kevin Castiglia reportedly told Deborah Castiglia’s boyfriend that she went on vacation. He then threatened to kill him if he showed up at the home again.
When officers arrived around 2:15 p.m., they reported Kevin Castiglia was armed with knives and behaving erratically, said the complaint.
One of the officers who went to the door believed he spotted blood on one of the knifes Kevin Castiglia brandished, police said.
According to police, officers attempted to use a Taser, which was ineffective, before Kevin Castiglia retreated inside the home and barricaded himself.
The multi-agency South Central Emergency Response Team was activated around 2:40 p.m. and later entered the residence, where they discovered the three deceased family members, according to the complaint.
Court documents said Kevin Castiglia was eventually taken into custody after refusing commands and retreating to a second-floor bedroom. The complaint details alleged threats and actions toward police officers.
The district attorney told reporters the standoff lasted for five hours and officers showed “tremendous restraint” when dealing with the armed man.
In his comments, Khan said he “joined the community in mourning,” and stated more information will be released once family of the victims is notified.
Investigators remained at the scene into Tuesday morning.
Heather Road reopened Tuesday morning after being closed Monday due to the standoff and investigation.
In the affidavit of probable cause filed Tuesday, Northampton Township authorities noted they had “prior contacts” with Kevin Castiglia at his parent’s home.
According to court records, Kevin Castiglia pleaded guilty in 2001 to an aggravated assault, reckless endangerment, and resisting arrest for an incident in Middletown Township.
This article appears courtesy of a content share agreement between LevittownNow.com, NewtownPANow.com, and NewHopeFreePress.com and Central Bucks News. To read more stories like this, visit https://www.centralbucksnews.com.
All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using public court records.
