Aspen man arrested after alleged downtown knife assault

An Aspen man was arrested downtown in the early hours of Saturday morning after allegedly attempting to stab multiple other men, and successfully cutting one, Aspen Police reported. 

Three men, who were 46, 30, and 32, contacted an Aspen Police cruiser along the 400 block of E. Hopkins Ave., Aspen, at about 2:29 a.m. Saturday, according to a police affidavit. The 46-year-old told police, “This guy just tried to stab me,” while pointing to Reese M. Castiglioni, age 39 from Aspen, who was standing near them holding what police noted appeared to be a knife. 

Police reported that before the alleged incident, the men — including the 46-year-old, the 30-year-old, the 32-year-old, and another man, who is 35 —  had been standing on the southeast corner of 400 E. Hopkins Ave. waiting for a taxi, when they watched Castiglioni walking westbound down the center of the street.

“Without prompt or speaking with Castiglioni, he turned toward them and stated something to the effect of, ‘You want some of this motherfucker,'” the affidavit states. “(The 46-year-old) responded, stating something to the effect of, ‘What?'”

The affidavit states Castiglioni “then pulled out a fixed blade knife from his pant pocket and began charging toward (the 46-year-old),” and that the 30-year-old and the 35-year-old ran to the 46-year-old to block Castiglioni from stabbing him.

“The two grabbed a hold of Castiglioni by the arms,” the affidavit states. “(The 30-year-old) advised that while Castiglioni was holding the knife, he started to swing his arm (the arm holding the knife) in an upward, downward, and circular motion in an attempt to cut or stab both he (the 30-year-old) and (the 35-year-old). At one point, Castiglioni managed to cut the (30-year-old) along his left forearm.”

The 46-year-old punched Castiglioni in the face and kicked him in the abdomen in an attempt to get him to drop the knife, the affidavit states. Eventually, the men separated and Castiglioni dropped the knife in a nearby flower box. 

As the men approached the police cruiser for help following the alleged assault, Castiglioni yelled something to the effect of “I’m going to shoot you,” in their direction, according to the affidavit.

The men told police that “we could have died,” the affidavit states. 

When police intervened, they observed that Castiglioni was “bleeding from his nose, mouth, and had blood on his hands.” Castiglioni told officers he did not need medical attention. A police officer noted he was swaying and unsteady on his feet, and his speech was slurred. Another smelled alcohol on his breath. The affidavit also states that a screwdriver was sticking out of his right boot.

Police found that Castiglioni possessed multiple knives and a backpack, all of which he relinquished after he was advised to do so. He at first told police he was “Michael Smith” and said he had no identification, but later provided police with a Passport Card, revealing his real identity. 

Officers detained Castiglioni, who, when questioned, told them “I have a gun.” During a pat down, officers reported that Castiglioni became “irate and combative.”

“And used his body to push away from the patrol vehicle,” the affidavit states. 

Police put Castiglioni under arrest for assault/felony menacing. They removed a Glock handgun containing 15 rounds of ammunition from a pocket in Castiglioni’s shorts, which he was wearing under sweat pants. Police also seized marijuana products and psilocybin mushrooms during a “search incident to arrest,” the affidavit states. 

Once arrested and transported to Pitkin County Jail, Castiglioni told one of the officers, “I can’t wait to see you soon. Imagine if we were on the streets without you being a cop.”

Castiglioni was charged with 2nd Degree Assault, defined as an intent to cause bodily injury to another person with a deadly weapon — a Class 4 Felony. He was also charged with four counts of felony menacing, occurring when a suspect puts another in imminent fear of serious bodily injury with a knife, among other weapons, as well as four counts of harassment. 

Additionally, Castiglioni was charged with resisting arrest, falsely reporting his identification to law enforcement, and violating a protection order filed against him. 

A Pitkin County Judge granted a protection order against Castiglioni on Friday, before this incident, after he allegedly followed and threatened a domestic partner, according to a police affidavit and application for arrest warrant. 

Among several conditions of that domestic order, Castiglioni was instructed to relinquish any firearms or ammunition in his possession and barred from consuming or possessing alcohol or controlled substances, two conditions he allegedly broke on Saturday.

Skyler Stark-Ragsdale can be reached at 970-429-9152 or email him at sstark-ragsdale@aspentimes.com.