Maintenance man shot by tenant after being sent to wrong apartment

A painter is in critical condition after being sent to the wrong house and getting shot by the occupant who thought someone was trying to break into his home.

Byron Castillo, 48-year-old painter from Winston-Salem, North Carolina, was contracted by the Chatham Woods apartment complex in High Point last week when he arrived to complete repairs on an apartment just before 8:30 a.m. on Jan. 30, according to a statement by Kenneth Shultz, Chief of Police at the High Point Police Department.

Castillo was accidentally sent to the wrong apartment, however, and after identifying himself as maintenance, he began knocking on the door and attempted to enter the premises with a key that he was given that did not work.

The occupant of the apartment, 28-year-old Gregory Sims, then allegedly became scared and, fearing for his safety, suddenly opened the door of his apartment and shot Castillo once in the chest.

“Sims perceived that someone was attempting to break into his apartment and retrieved his firearm,” said Shultz. “Mr. Sims could see Mr. Castillo pulling on the door handle and that he had something in his other hand manipulating the deadbolt.”

Castillo was taken to a local hospital and underwent surgery for the gunshot wound and placed on a breathing machine.

After investigating the circumstances around the shooting, the High Point Police Department announced on Tuesday that they would not be seeking to prosecute Sims over the shooting of Castillo.

“The Violent Crimes Unit consulted and presented the case to the Guilford County District Attorney’s Office and prosecution has been declined. Through unfortunate circumstances, Mr. Castillo attempted to gain entry mistakenly into the wrong apartment and Mr. Sims perceived that as a threat and fired his weapon,” said High Point Police.

Castillo is still in the intensive care unit in critical but stable condition.