A New Braunfels man will spend 25 years in state prison after a jury convicted him of family assault for a 2021 incident in which prosecutors say he slapped a woman and threatened to kill her. Felix Villareal Castilleja Jr., 49, received the sentence Thursday in the 207th District Court, with Judge Tracie Wright-Reneau presiding.
In April 2021, New Braunfels officers responded to multiple 911 calls reporting that Castilleja had slapped the woman and would not let her leave a bedroom. The woman told officers he had been drinking all day and turned violent after she rejected his sexual advances and asked him to lower loud music. She locked herself in a bathroom to call 911, and officers later found her crying, with visible redness near her eyebrow and forehead, authorities said. Investigators also reported finding a methamphetamine pipe containing a white crystalline substance on Castilleja, according to the Comal County Criminal District Attorney's Office, as reported by the San Antonio Express-News.
Why the sentence was heavy
Prosecutors said a prior felony assault conviction played a major role in the final punishment, increasing Castilleja’s sentencing exposure under Texas law. In Texas, assault cases involving family violence can draw stiffer penalties when prosecutors prove prior qualifying felonies, and repeat offenders can quickly climb the penalty ladder. The underlying assault offense and its enhanced ranges are set out in Texas Penal Code §22.01.
Court proceedings and next steps
District Judge Tracie Wright-Reneau handed down the 25-year term in the 207th District Court, which serves Comal County and surrounding areas, according to the county’s court roster. Case details came from the Comal County Criminal District Attorney’s Office and court records, and the San Antonio Express-News reported that prosecutors highlighted Castilleja’s prior record during sentencing. Public filings do not yet make clear whether Castilleja plans to appeal.
Local context
Comal County has seen a run of stiff sentences in recent years in serious violent and sex-crime cases, a trend local prosecutors often point to when arguing for long prison terms. Hoodline previously covered another New Braunfels case that led to a lengthy punishment, a 32-year no-parole term in a child sex abuse case, underscoring how tough the county can be in certain violent prosecutions.
