Bruce Kruger appears in this photo from 2020.
Image Credit: FACEBOOK: Bruce Kruger
January 09, 2025 - 7:00 AM
A Penticton man, who was once sentenced to 14 years jail for stabbing his brother-in-law to death, is back behind bars facing charges of aggravated assault, domestic abuse and firing a gun.
Bruce Leon Kruger is due to appear in Penticton court, Jan. 8, facing four charges for a violent incident that took place last summer.
Separately, he's also due to stand trial next month on domestic violence charges for assault causing bodily harm and assault causing bodily harm. This incident is alleged to take taken place in August 2021.
In 2008, Kruger was sentenced to 14 years jail for stabbing his brother-in-law to death in Spokane, Washington.
Court documents said in July 2007 Kruger was visiting his sister at the time and had been out drinking when he got into a heated argument with his brother-in-law J. Jesus Casillas-Robles.
The two were standing in the front yard and Kruger went into the kitchen and grabbed a knife before returning and repeatedly stabbing Casillas-Robles. He then drove off in his sister's car.
Casillas-Robles was stabbed multiple times in the chest, back, face and neck. He was rushed to hospital but died from his injuries.
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At 6 a.m., hours after Casillas-Robles had been stabbed, Kruger arrived at a house where two 13-year-old girls were babysitting his nephew. He found a large samurai sword in the house, grabbed a beer and sat down on the couch with the teens. He told them not to call 911.
"He had the samurai sword leaning across one side of his body while holding a beer in the other hand," a court filing read.
He fell asleep, and the girls left and called 911. They locked themselves inside a vehicle until police showed up.
Kruger was later charged with first-degree murder and kidnapping. He avoided trial and pleaded guilty to second-degree murder. It appears the kidnapping charge was dropped.
Precise details of the current charges aren't yet known, but Kruger is currently facing charges for aggravated assault, using a prohibited firearm, unlawfully firing a weapon and possession of a restricted firearm for an incident that took place in June 2024.
He is currently in custody. None of the recent charges have been proven in court.
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