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A man previously accused of stalking a Richmond mom at her home failed to appear in court on Wednesday.
An application for an arrest warrant is now scheduled to be heard on Aug. 18.
The man, Jesse Castillo, has allegedly been trying to get into Richmond resident Koszima Mair’s home for the last 13 months, for reasons unknown.
He was previously ordered by the court to steer well clear of Mair and her Terra Nova home and is currently charged with two counts of breach of a recognizance.
After allegedly breaching the court order in June, Castillo was detained in custody for about a month, and Mair was allowed to live a relatively normal life.
He was released on bail on July 21 and was supposed to appear in court on Wednesday on the breach allegations to fix his next court date – but he didn’t show up.
“The accused did not appear (Wednesday). Counsel appeared but did not have instructions to appear on behalf of the accused,” said Dan McLaughlin, BC Prosecution Service spokesperson.
As a result, a date was scheduled for the warrant application.
There’s no trial date set for the breach allegations.
Mair previously told the Richmond News that she suspects he had a serious mental health condition, but claimed that Richmond RCMP’s mental health unit had assessed him previously as “not being a danger to himself or others.”
The News previously reported how Mair lives every day in fear of the random stranger, sleeps with a hammer under her pillow and has her house surrounded by security cameras.
She told the News how Castillo, 39, has allegedly turned up multiple times at her house and tried to get inside, sometimes while she and her teenage kids are home.
In each of the 11 episodes, Castillo, who is understood to be homeless, allegedly bangs on Mair’s door and tries the door handle.
He seems adamant, Mair previously told the News, that he either lives there or knows someone who does, and appears to be afraid of nothing – neither her dogs nor the imminent arrival of police.
On one occasion, he allegedly stood in her front yard, staring into her window while sharpening two pieces of concrete together.
Richmond RCMP has also told the News that it has created a “safety plan” with Mair that includes calling 911 if she sees Castillo.
Calls received from Mair or connected to her home would be considered for a “priority response,” according to RCMP, adding that each call would be assessed on the information provided, for example in progress versus a report made after the fact.
—With files from Alan Campbell
