NYC woman who plowed into BLM protestors dodges jail time with plea deal
A Queens woman who plowed her car into Black Lives Matter protestors in Midtown was berated by demonstrators outside Manhattan court Monday after she cut a sweetheart plea deal with prosecutors, dodging jail time.
Kathleen Casillo, 53, faced seven years in prison if convicted in the December 2020 incident that left six people injured — but was instead sentenced to five hours of community service as part of the agreement with the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office.
Under the deal, Casillo pleaded guilty to reckless endangerment, a misdemeanor, but that will get knocked down to a mere disorderly conduct violation if she fulfills her sentence and stays out of trouble for six months, prosecutors and her lawyer said.
“You f—ed people’s lives up, you’re a criminal,” one demonstrator screamed at Casillo following the plea hearing in Manhattan Supreme Court. “You’re a criminal and you have not taken responsibility.”
The woman slammed Casillo’s claims that she had hit the gas in panic because the protestors were being “aggressive.”
“They didn’t do anything,” the demonstrator said. “My husband’s back was turned when you hit him and sent him flying into the air. His back was turned. How was that aggressive?”
But Casillo’s defense lawyer said justice had been served.
“We’re very gratified after an exhaustive and thorough review the Manhattan DA’s office has decided that Kathleen Casillo should not receive a criminal conviction, which we have maintained from the beginning of the case,” attorney Oliver Storch said.
“Ms. Castillo is a retired grandmother who looks forward to putting this horrible ordeal behind her and spending time with her family,” Storch said. “Her thoughts and prayers go out to anybody injured.”
A contrite Casillo also apologized as she left court.
“I”m sorry for everyone, I really am,” she said.
Casillo was in her black BMW sedan with her 29-year-old daughter on Dec. 11, 2020 when she drove into a BLM protest on 39th Street and Third Avenue.
She told cops she feared for her safety — and her daughter’s — when she panicked and stepped on the gas.
Video footage of the incident showed several protestors being hurled into the air, with six people suffering injuries that were non-life-threatening.
Casillo was charged with reckless assault and reckless endangerment and released without bail.
She twice turned down deals that would have had her perform six days of community service and suspended her driver’s license for one year, in exchange for a guilty plea.
Prosecutors with DA Alvin Bragg’s office said Monday they agreed to the new terms because Casillo had no criminal record, did not flee the scene, did not intend to hurt the protestors and took responsibility for the incident.
“We believe, given all this, it is just to permit the defendant to try to earn a non-criminal disposition,” Assistant District Attorney Andrew Mercer said in court.
“If she fails in fulfilling any of the conditions of this plea — that is, if she does not complete the community service or gets rearrested in the next year — she will not be permitted to withdraw her plea,” Mercer said. “The misdemeanor conviction will stand and she will face possible jail time.”
Under state law, misdemeanor convictions can warrant jail terms of up to one year.
Casillo is due back in court on June 9.
Additional reporting by Steven Hirsch
