Lamberto Ricci Castillo. Photo: Orange County District Attorney’s Office
After 23 years, the bizarre peeing-in-public killings of two men in Huntington Beach may be coming to a resolution as the accused murderer made his first appearance in court Monday.
Lamberto Ricci Castillo is facing double murder charges and a special circumstance allegation of multiple murders, which could result in a death penalty sentence if he is convicted of killing Kenny Paul Sommers and Chen “Cosmo” Maui Blanchard, both 23, on the night of March 31, 1994, near a hip intersection in downtown Huntington Beach.
Arraignment for Castillo, now a 64-year-old man who is being held without bail, was rescheduled to June 2.
Castillo, now of Alamosa, Colorado, was arrested a couple of weeks ago. He was charged April 27 and eventually waived extradition.
Huntington Beach police developed a lead about a year ago that ended up cracking the case, a law enforcement source said. However, few details were available about how the case may have been solved after all these years.
Castillo allegedly confronted the victims as they were urinating near Main Street and Orange Avenue, touching off an argument among the three. Castillo left and returned about 10:15 p.m. with a gun, then allegedly shot both multiple times before fleeing, according to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office.
–City News Service
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