A Vacaville man, Victor Serriteno, has entered a no-contest plea to charges including the 2020 murders of Priscilla Castro, Leon Bone, and Douglas Mai, along with arson that triggered the Markley Fire. The plea deal, resulting in a 73-year-to-life prison term, comes as a response to a series of events starting with Castro's death and a wildfire that killed two men and destroyed thousands of acres in Solano County, as reported by The Mercury News.
Initially, Priscilla Castro was reported missing on August 16, 2020, and Serriteno, who was her last contact, was neither "helpful nor truthful" during the investigation, this all led to a complex inquiry by authorities, according to a statement from District Attorney Krishna Abrams, as obtained by The Mercury News. Castro's car was found two days later, and her remains were eventually discovered near the Putah Creek Wildlife Area, along with an angel pendant that she owned.
Serriteno faces a sentence of 15 years to life for second-degree murder for Castro's death, according to Abrams. Further, he receives 25 years to life for each first-degree murder count for Bone and Mai, plus eight years for arson, and he is currently held without bail in Solano County Jail.
Further details gleaned from CBS News include that on the day Castro's car was unearthed, a fire erupted at the Putah Creek Wildlife Area, which would become part of the Markley Fire, wasting thousands of acres and culminating in the burning of homes, structures, and the deaths of Mai and Bone in their homes due to the fire's destruction. Following an extensive investigation, Serriteno was additionally charged in 2021 for the murders of Bone and Mai, and for arson; arising from the Markley Fire investigation, his sentencing is dated for August 14, according to judicial processes.
