Medford man sentenced for car chase, shootout

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The last of three Medford men involved in an April car chase and shootout was sentenced Thursday to prison.

Manuel Gonzalez Castro Jr., 25, pleaded guilty in Jackson County Circuit Court to charges of unlawful use of a weapon and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Circuit Court Judge Bill Purdy ordered Castro to serve 15 months in prison for the April 5 crime that also led to the arrest of 20-year-old Jesus Macias and 26-year-old Steven Malgarejo.

Castro fired a 9 mm handgun during a fight with Malgarejo at a house in the 300 block of Medford's Chestnut Street, prosecutors said. The bullet burst through two rooms before lodging in a wall stud, prosecutors said.

Castro and Macias fled in a Ford Mustang with Malgarejo in pursuit just after midnight, prosecutors said. Macias fired shots at Malgarejo's vehicle until it rammed Castro's Mustang off the road, sending it crashing into a parked car along Medford's Jeanette Avenue. Castro shot at Malgarejo, forcing him to drive away.

Castro and Macias fled on foot, leaving the Mustang behind, but police traced it to Castro and arrested him and Malgarejo later that day. Macias was arrested five days later.

Macias, who lists an address on Medford's Beatty Street, pleaded guilty in Circuit Court on April 27 to charges of unlawful use of a weapon and being a felon in possession of a firearm. He was sentenced to 30 days in jail and two years on probation.

Malgarejo, who lived in the 600 block of Medford's Black Oak Drive, pleaded guilty on June 5 to a charge of attempted second-degree assault and was ordered to prison for a year and one month.

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