Trial Date Set For NHPD Officer Ferraro On Vegas Fatal DUI Case

NEW HAVEN, CT — A trial date has been set in a Las Vegas courtroom for the New Haven police officer charged in the DUI death of fellow officer Joshua Castellano last September.

Robert Ferraro, 35, of East Haven, was charged with driving under the influence, death resulting and reckless driving.

His trial by jury is set for Dec. 5, according to Eighth Judicial District Court records.

New Haven police spokesperson Scott Shumway said that the department is aware the case was moved to a district court, and that Ferraro's trial is set for December. Ferraro was placed on administrative leave by then-Acting Police Chief Renee Domiguez.

Shumway said that once that case has been decided, an internal police investigation will begin. Once completed, what, if any, discipline will be leveled against Ferraro will be decided by newly-sworn Police Chief Karl Jacobson.

Castellano, a 7-year veteran of the department, was a passenger in a rented Rolls-Royce driven by Ferraro. Also in the car were New Haven police officers John Truhart and Matthew Borges, and two women from San Antonio, Texas, according to the Las Vegas police report.

The officers were off-duty at the time of the 4 a.m. fatal crash.

Patch spoke to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department last year and obtained a copy of the police report of the incident.

Just before 4 in the morning, Ferraro was driving the white 2020 Rolls-Royce Cullinan "at a high rate of speed" when he lost control of the car and struck a 2021 white Ford Mustang that was waiting to enter the roadway. After striking the Mustang, the Rolls Ferraro was driving collided with roadside utility poles, landscaping, and a fire hydrant, overturned onto its roof, ejected Castellano, who was in the front passenger seat, and then righted itself before coming to rest. First responders took Castellano to University Medical Center’s Trauma Unit but, "despite all life-saving measures," he was pronounced dead.

It was later reported that Ferraro would not submit to a field sobriety test, but his blood was drawn more than 90 minutes after the fatal crash. His blood alcohol content was 0.121.

A week after being charged and arrested, he posted $100,000 surety bail and was released. He was allowed to leave Las Vegas and return to Connecticut with conditions including that he surrender his passport, and not use drugs or alcohol.

Ferraro's attorney Gabriel Grasso said that Castellano was Ferraro's "best friend" and partner, and that the two had known each other for many years. Grasso called the incident a "tragedy" for all involved.

In 2015, Castellano was one of Class 1914 police academy graduates, as was Ferraro.