Marine recruiter suspected of sexually assaulting Huntington Beach girl, 17

By Hannah FryStaff Writer

July 27, 2017 4:40 PM PT

A 28-year-old Marine Corps sergeant who served as a Marine recruiter at Ocean View and Marina high schools was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of sexually assaulting a 17-year-old Huntington Beach girl.

The girl, a former Marina High student, filed a report in June with Huntington Beach police alleging that a man who worked as a Marine Corps recruiter and high school volunteer sexually assaulted her this past school year.

For the record:

1:22 p.m. April 25, 2024An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that when an allegation of misconduct is made against a Marine, the Corps waits for law enforcement to complete its investigation before the Corps looks into the situation. In fact, the Corps conducts its investigation while working with local police.

Police arrested Gonzalo Castro of San Clemente on suspicion of sexual assault. He later posted bond and was released, authorities said.

The girl, whom authorities did not identify, told police that she met the man when he volunteered with Marina’s track and field team. Police allege the man sexually assaulted her during an off-campus training run.

Castro, who works out of the Marine recruiting office in Costa Mesa, will not interact with any applicants while police investigate the allegations, said Capt. Chad Hill, deputy marketing and public affairs officer for the 12th Marine Corps District.

Hill said that when an allegation of misconduct is made against a Marine, the Corps conducts an internal investigation while working with local law enforcement.

“This is an isolated incident and is not indicative of Marines as a whole,” Hill said. “We take this seriously, and this is not what the Marine Corps is about.”

A representative of the Huntington Beach Union High School District could not immediately be reached for comment Thursday.

Detectives are looking for possible additional victims in the case. Anyone with information is asked to contact Det. Anthony Pham at (714) 536-5973 or apham@hbpd.org. Anonymous tips may be submitted to Orange County Crime Stoppers at (855) TIP-OCCS (847-6227).

hannah.fry@latimes.com

Twitter: @HannahFryTCN

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Hannah Fry

Hannah Fry covers breaking news for the Los Angeles Times. She most recently covered Orange County for The Times and has written extensively about criminal trials, housing, politics and government. In 2020, Fry was part of the team that was a Pulitzer finalist for its coverage of a boat fire that killed 34 people off the coast of Santa Barbara. Fry came to The Times from the Daily Pilot, where she covered coastal cities, education and crime. An Orange County native, Fry started her career as an intern at the Orange County Register.

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For the record:

An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that when an allegation of misconduct is made against a Marine, the Corps waits for law enforcement to complete its investigation before the Corps looks into the situation. In fact, the Corps conducts its investigation while working with local police.