KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Charmine Jay first met Alex Castillo while working at the Family Dollar at the Longview Square Shopping Center
“He was in my store every day, two to three times a day, very friendly guy just nice all around good character,” Jay said.
The young man worked at the Boost mobile store, part of the family business.
“I watched him spend hours working on people’s phones – I mean very, very helpful. You could come back two to three times a day with the same problem on your phone and he would take of care it and he would stay until he found the solution. He was very, very good to the people,” Jay said.
On Monday afternoon, Castillo was leaving for the day when he heard a commotion between his co-worker and an armed man trying to rob the store.
Police said he went back to try to help but the masked gunman shot and killed him.
“He would have done the same thing regardless to who it would have been in the situation,” Jay said.
Castillo lived in Raytown. Neighbors aren’t surprised by Castillo’s actions, which police have described as heroic.
“He would just do anything for everybody, you know? He was part of the community,” Shawn Mcquillen said.
Castillo’s death marks the KCMO’s 110th homicide of 2017.
The ongoing violent crime has prompted nearby businesses at the Longview Square like Sunny’s Nails to install security cameras.
Jay said it’s a problem she thinks has gotten progressively worse.
“All those businesses over there should come together and get some type of security to patrol that area,” Jay said.
Police have not released a description or any photos of the suspect, who remains on the run.
If you have any information, you’re asked to call KCPD or the KC Crimestoppers hotline at 816-474-TIPS (8477).
