Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Fatal Shooting of Pregnant Girlfriend
The tragic incident that took the lives of a woman and her unborn child earlier this year has resulted in the sentencing of Robert Pasco III to 12 years in prison. The 43-year-old pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter of a family member in a plea deal that was accepted by Judge Mary Brosnahan. Pasco will serve half of the sentence, with an expected release date of February 8, 2030.
The fatal shooting occurred on January 16, when Pasco allegedly discharged a firearm, striking his girlfriend, Edith Castrejon, in the chest. Castrejon, who was 22 weeks pregnant at the time, tragically passed away from her injuries. Doctors were able to deliver the baby, named Jesus, before he also succumbed to complications of prematurity about a week later.
Pasco claimed that the shooting was unintentional, stating that he believed Castrejon was trying to move a firearm that he kept under his pillow when it accidentally went off. The tragic incident took place in the couple’s home on the 5800 block of West Newport Avenue, where two other children, ages 3 and 7, were also present in the room at the time of the shooting. A bullet was found lodged in a bunk bed where one of the children slept, as per a CPD report.
Initially facing charges related to gun possession violations, Pasco was later charged with involuntary manslaughter of a family member. The firearm involved was described as an unregistered “ghost gun,” which is an untraceable weapon assembled from individually purchased parts or kits.
Pasco’s criminal history includes convictions for Class X armed habitual criminal in 2015, aggravated discharge of a firearm in 2005, and aggravated unlawful use of a weapon in 2004 and 2002, according to Illinois Department of Corrections records.
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