Would Be Robber Walks When Store Owner Fails to Show Up In Court

Earlier this year, Efrain S. Castanon walked into a Crystal Lake store with three other men armed with a gun and tied up the store owner, Rafael Diaz and his wife while robbing them. Rafael Diaz broke free from the restraints, retrieved a handgun he kept hidden in the store, and chased the robbers out the store firing shots in their direction as they fled down a busy Route 14. Two of the robbers fled and were never found. Efrain S. Castanon was found and charged with Attempted Armed Robbery, Attempted Aggravated Robbery and Attempted Robbery. These are all Class 1 felonies and he was facing up to 15 years in prison. Because Rafael Diaz fired a gun at the men as they fled down busy Route 14, Rafael Diaz was charged with Aggravated Battery with a Firearm, a felony that was more serious than the charges faced by Castanon. Diaz posted $10,000 in bond money and has not been seen since. The case was set for trial on Monday in McHenry County, and prosecutors were forced to reduce the charges faced by Castanon and he received probation. The prosecutors informed the Judge that Diaz had fled the jurisdiction and was unavailable to testify. There is an outstanding warrant for Rafael Diaz. Efrain Castanon is still locked up in the McHenry County Jail because of a hold by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

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