Cop accused in fatal Vegas crash remains in custody

NEW HAVEN — The case of a city police officer charged in connection with a fatal crash in Las Vegas that claimed the life of a colleague was continued Tuesday, according to online records.

Robert Ferraro, 34, is charged with driving under the influence and reckless driving in connection with the crash early Friday.

According to online records, he appeared in court Tuesday, but a status check on the filing of a criminal complaint in the matter was delayed until Thursday to allow for “confirmation of counsel.”

The station 8 News Now Las Vegas reported defense attorney Gabriel Grasso was to meet with Ferraro’s family after Tuesday’s hearing.

A staffer at Grasso’s law office declined a request for comment Tuesday on Grasso’s behalf. Grasso had not been retained to take the case at this time, the staffer said.

Among other clients, Grasso previously represented O.J. Simpson “in the infamous Palace Station Casino memorabilia case,” according to his website.

Ferraro remained in custody after Tuesday’s court appearance, according to court records.

While Ferraro had posted bond Friday, a staffer at the Clark County Detention Center said Monday that the process of fitting Ferraro for electronic monitoring had only begun. That process can take seven to 10 days, the staffer said.

Ferraro is required to stay out of trouble, avoid alcohol, abstain from driving and wear an electronic monitoring bracelet as part of the case, according to Nevada judicial records.

Authorities contend Ferraro was driving a 2020 Rolls Royce Cullinan around 4 a.m. Friday when he allegedly entered an intersection at a high speed and began to lose control. He allegedly then drove off the side of the road, colliding with a 2021 Ford Mustang, utility poles, landscaping and a fire hydrant, authorities said.

The car turned onto its roof, ejecting fellow New Haven Officer Joshua Castellano from the vehicle. Castellano later died at the hospital, according to a release from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.

New Haven Officers Matthew Borges and John Truhart, as well as two women from San Antonio, Texas, also were in the vehicle and suffered minor injuries, according to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.

New Haven Interim Chief Renee Dominguez said Saturday that Ferraro was placed on administrative leave with pay, per the department’s policy, and that the Police Department will conduct its own investigation.

Borges and Truhart will not be placed on administrative leave, Dominguez said. She said the two officers have not yet returned to work, as they’re taking accrued time off. Both have returned to Connecticut, she said.

Castellano also returned home to Connecticut, with officers from multiple police departments standing in front of New Haven Police headquarters on Union Avenue to salute his casket.

“It’s a tradition in public safety to say goodbye to a fallen brother,” said former city Police Chief Anthony Campbell. “It’s part of closure and a way for us to remember him.”

Campbell, currently assistant chief of police at Yale University, said Castellano was “a stellar human being, which really elevates the type of service and professionalism” of a police officer.

To provide comfort to mourners, Yale, Groton and Middletown police brought therapy dogs to police headquarters Tuesday.

In a letter released Monday by New Haven police spokesman Officer Scott Shumway, Castellano’s family said that amid their “unimaginable heartbreak and grief over the tragic loss of Joshua, we are comforted by the overwhelming love and expressions of support from Joshua’s Police Officer family, his friends and the Yale community.”

“Joshua’s life was a gift, and we are grateful that he could share part of it with his colleagues at the New Haven Police Department and with the countless community members he encountered while proudly serving on the police force,” the family’s letter said. “Joshua approached his life and work with unmatched passion and excitement, and his genuine love for people was infectious.”

Further, the family wrote, “We hope that others will honor Joshua’s memory by following his excellent example of selfless service to the community. As we pray for strength during this dark time, we will celebrate Joshua’s remarkable life and the light and joy he brought to our lives and the lives of so many.”

Castellano will be be honored with a Mass of Christian Burial at 10 a.m. Friday at St. Mary's Church on Hillhouse Avenue, according to his obituary.