Insets: Robert Pasco (Chicago Police). Edith Castrejon (GoFundMe). Background: Police investigate Castrejon’s shooting death (WGN/YouTube).
An Illinois man is facing legal consequences for the demise of his pregnant partner after an incident where he shot her, alleging that she had reached for the gun under his pillow while he was asleep.
Robert Pasco III, aged 42, has been charged with involuntary manslaughter, child endangerment resulting in death, and three counts of misdemeanor child endangerment in connection with the passing of 35-year-old Edith Castrejon and their infant Jesus Castrejon, who tragically passed away a week after being born.
Authorities in Chicago were alerted to the situation just before 5 a.m. on January 16 in the 5800 block of W. Newport following a shooting. Emergency medical teams discovered Castrejon, who was in her fifth month of pregnancy, with a single gunshot wound to her chest. She was swiftly transported to the hospital, where medical professionals managed to deliver her baby before her unfortunate passing. Despite a slim 25% chance of survival, the newborn passed away at just 7 days old. The shooting incident took place while their three other children, ages 3, 4, and 7, were asleep in the same room, as per police reports, and fortunately, they were unharmed.
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Pasco told cops he was sleeping when Castrejon grabbed a gun that was under his pillow, an arrest affidavit obtained by Chicago CBS affiliate WBBM said. Pasco reportedly said he took the gun and shot his girlfriend in the chest. He then allegedly hid the gun in a closet.
Police originally charged Pasco with gun charges as he is a felon and is unable to illegally possess a firearm. The firearm used was a ghost gun, authorities said. Ghost guns are generally untraceable as they are assembled either from a kit or other homemade components.
Castrejon’s family told the outlet that they were skeptical of Pasco’s story. Police arrested Pasco for the involuntary manslaughter charge on Monday.
“Edith Castrejon should still be alive, and her children should still have their mom around. We are determined to bring justice in this case, which was both preventable and a direct result of a violent individual possessing an illegal gun,” the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office said in a statement to WBBM.
A GoFundMe account called Castrejon a “hardworking, fighting woman” who leaves her family with a “huge void.”
“Long live Edith and Baby Jesus,” the fundraiser said.
Pasco remains at the Cook County Jail.
