A 22-year-old Washington, D.C. man is facing felony stalking and simple assault charges after police say he repeatedly showed up uninvited at a teenage girl's home, her workplace, and other locations around the city over the course of several hours in June. Daniel Alexi Castillo was arrested on a D.C. Superior Court warrant on August 7, more than two months after the incidents were first reported.
According to WJLA, the Metropolitan Police Department opened its investigation after the teenager reported Castillo on June 5. Investigators allege Castillo put his phone number into the girl's phone in Northeast D.C. and then called and texted her repeatedly against her wishes. Police also allege he insisted on walking the girl home and went to an event where she was working, all conduct investigators say she never welcomed.
Between 4 p.m. and 7:56 p.m. on June 5, police allege Castillo showed up uninvited at the girl's home and other locations around the district multiple times. MPD has not released additional information about the alleged assault charge tied to the case, per the station's report.
How D.C.'s Stalking Law Turns a Pattern Into a Felony
Under D.C. Code § 22-3133, stalking is defined as purposefully engaging in a course of conduct directed at a specific person on two or more occasions that causes fear, severe alarm, or emotional distress, according to Koehler Law. That standard means an isolated encounter would not meet the legal threshold for prosecution — prosecutors must show a repeated pattern, which is why investigators point to the multiple stops Castillo allegedly made across the city in a single afternoon and evening.
A first-time misdemeanor stalking conviction in D.C. can bring up to 12 months in jail and a $2,500 fine, but the statute allows the charge to be elevated to a felony carrying as much as 5 years in prison and $12,500 in fines when aggravating factors or repeat offenses are present, as detailed by David Benowitz Law. The felony classification in Castillo's case reflects that heightened tier of the law. The D.C. Court of Appeals has previously upheld the statute's constitutionality in Beachum v. United States, affirming that stalking convictions can rest on a negligence standard — meaning a defendant should have known their conduct would cause alarm — without violating due process, per the same firm's research.
Two-Month Gap Reflects Standard Warrant Process
The roughly two-month span between the June incidents and Castillo's August arrest tracks with how D.C. Superior Court handles arrest warrants. Under Superior Court Rule 4, warrants based on sworn police affidavits generally require review and approval from the U.S. Attorney's Office before a judge signs off on execution by law enforcement, according to D.C. Courts.
Because Washington operates under a non-cash bail system, Castillo's custody status will now hinge on a Pretrial Services Agency risk assessment conducted within 24 to 48 hours of arrest, rather than a monetary bond, per Ervin Kibria Law. That assessment will determine whether Castillo is released under conditions or held pending trial.
Case Comes Amid a Rise in Violent Crime Citywide
The arrest lands against a mixed public safety backdrop in the District. Preliminary Metropolitan Police Department data through August 12 show overall reported crime down 20% year-to-date compared with 2025, even as violent crime ticked up 3%, driven largely by a 40% increase in assaults with a dangerous weapon.
MPD maintains a dedicated Victim Services Branch and Domestic Violence Unit that offers safety planning, legal referrals, and access to the D.C. Superior Court's Crime Victims Compensation Program for people targeted by stalking or violence. National data underscore why that kind of support matters for younger victims specifically: the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that roughly 24% of female stalking victims report first being targeted before age 18, and nearly 58% experience it before age 25. A CDC-linked peer-reviewed study also found that about 14% of surveyed adolescents met criteria for high-exposure stalking victimization, reporting markedly higher rates of post-traumatic stress, mood disorders, and hopelessness than their peers.
It remains unclear whether prosecutors will seek to keep Castillo detained pending trial or what specific protective orders, if any, have been put in place to safeguard the teenager. The case follows other recent stalking arrests in the region, including a Bowie man accused of trailing a shopper home and an earlier Northwest D.C. stalking arrest that Hoodline covered in 2024.
