Moreau man guilty in shooting

BALLSTON SPA, N.Y. >> A Moreau man has been convicted of firstdegree assault and various weapons charges for shooting his neighbor in the back with an AR15 style assault rifle last October.

In addition to the felony assault charge, a Saratoga County Court jury found Joey Castro, 25, guilty of first-degree criminal use of a firearm, two counts of firstdegree reckless endangerment, third-degree criminal possession of a weapon, all felonies, and failure to register an assault rifle.

Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 17.

Castro was convicted of intentionally shooting Michael Desnoyers last Oct. 8, after Castro became enraged during a gathering inside Desnoyers’ garage on Laurel Road in Moreau. Castro left the garage, came back five minutes later and opened fire on Desnoyers who was standing in the garage next to his girlfriend.

Desnoyers’ 19-year-old son ran into the garage and upon hearing the eighth and final gunshot watched his father fall to the ground in front of him. Desnoyers was left paralyzed from the waist down. The bullet from the shooting remains lodged in his back.

Saratoga County District Attorney Karen Heggen said, “The civilian witnesses’ testimony provided the jury with first-hand accounts of the defendant’s actions that night. Their gripping testimony along with two harrowing 911 calls provided the jury with a realistic account of the fear and distress that no human being should ever endure.”