Deen Castronovo: Journey Drummer To Enter Drug Rehab, Says He ‘Lost Everything’
Deen Castronovo, the drummer who has been with classic rock band Journey since 1998, is seeing his world crumble before his eyes. Facing rape and felony charges, the 50-year-old musician may be getting out of jail next week, but his trial-and-tribulations are far from over.
Castronovo was recently taken into custody on charges of misdemeanor assault and menacing. Though he was later released on bail, Deen was ordered not to contact the alleged victim, his wife. The case didn’t end there. A grand jury convened again and slapped on some more charges, even more serious, that warranted his arrest. What’s bizarre is that Deen may have called and texted the woman he had previous altercations with. The messages included suicide threats and apologies. Presiding Judge Thomas Hart concluded that the phone messages Deen Castronovo left for his alleged victim were “vile”.
In all, Deen is said to have left 144 messages, prompting the judge to set bail at $200,000.
Though Deen will be out on bail, he will head straight to a drug treatment facility, where he will undergo a drug rehabilitation therapy. If that’s not all, he will also be required to wear an ankle monitoring device, which will log all his movements. Whether the ankle bracelet is tied to a particular place, restricting Deen’s movements, isn’t known yet.
The drummer who replaced Steve Smith in 1998 and is a veteran of five Journey albums since 2001, openly confessed to being addicted to drugs and blamed his addiction for his recent bad behavior, reported NY Daily News. Deen Castronovo further added that his addiction has cost him dearly including the loss of his job with the band Journey and the loss of his freedom. Castronovo was supposed to have been a part of Journey on their current tour. However, the band had to replace him, owing to his repeated infractions of law.
Castronovo was initially being held without bail, but it seems he has deposited the $200,000 that allows him temporary freedom from the drudgery of a prison cell. His attorney assured the court that Deen Castronovo won’t attempt anything illegal while out on bail and will remain in drug treatment until his trial begins in the fall.
In all, criminal charges piled on Castronovo include: five counts of fourth-degree assault, one count of first-degree rape, two counts of menacing, one count of unlawful use of a weapon, one count of second-degree assault, one count of second-degree sex abuse, one count of coercion, one count of second-degree criminal mischief and three counts of contempt of court, reported The Examiner.
[Image Credit | Ethan Miller / Getty Images]
