HERNANDO COUNTY, Fla. – An early morning altercation at a Brooksville hotel resulted in the arrest of two men who are now facing charges and potential immigration consequences.
Hernando County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a call at the Days Inn on Windmere Road around 4:30 a.m. on November 15th. They found Alfonso Castillo, 33, with a laceration on his lip and complaining of shoulder pain. Castillo claimed he had been attacked but did not want to press charges.
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While Castillo was being treated by paramedics, he asked deputies to retrieve his cell phone from his hotel room. Upon entering the room, deputies discovered blood on the floor and bed, along with a broken steak knife.
A search of the area led them to Israel Olivares, 41, who was sitting outside covered in blood with a laceration on his chest. Olivares initially claimed he had been robbed and stabbed by an unknown assailant.
However, surveillance video from the hotel revealed a different story. The footage showed Castillo returning to his room with a knife and then engaging in a physical altercation with Olivares. The fight spilled into the hallway, where Olivares chased Castillo.
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When confronted with the video evidence, Castillo admitted to retrieving the knife from his vehicle to confront Olivares because he was upset that Olivares had prevented him from sleeping. Olivares confessed to lying about the robbery to protect his friend.
Both men were arrested. Castillo was charged with Aggravated Battery, and Olivares was charged with Making a False Report.
As both men are Mexican nationals working in the area for an Alabama-based company, they are being held without bond due to ICE detainers.
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