Fast 15: Carlos Castillo

Carlos Castillo literally is a hero — to one woman, at least.

Castillo was credited with saving the life of Angela Johnson when he pulled her from a burning SUV in 2010. Johnson had sustained a broken leg in a one-car crash, but Castillo rescued her before firefighters could reach her vehicle, which one lawman described as “a goner.”

And while his everyday life isn’t always that dramatic, the impact he has on his patients, patrons and people of his community is noticeable.

“I just really like to serve people, to cater to people and make them feel at home,” Castillo said, “whether it’s at the clinic or the restaurant.”

Castillo moved to Northwest Arkansas from Los Angeles at age 16, but shook off any culture shock when he realized how much the learning atmosphere at Springdale High School had to offer.

“In California, the classes were really big and it was up to you whether you wanted to learn or not,” he said. “The first day I walked in the classroom here, everybody was like, ‘Yes, sir, no ma’am,’ and that was a good thing. I had always wanted that kind of environment.”

Castillo graduated from high school in 2003, but not before having an experience that changed the course of his life. Castillo’s father had suffered severe burns on his feet, and his son was both impressed and captivated by the way therapists helped him recover.

“I just saw all the things they did for him, and I thought, ‘This is awesome. I can do that for a living,’” Castillo said. “I feel like God opened a door and I jumped on it.”

Castillo graduated from Northwest Arkansas Community College as a licensed physical therapy assistant in 2006, and currently works full time with Dr. Luke Knox, among others. In 2008, Castillo and his father opened Charly’s Taqueria in Springdale, and he also works evenings and weekends there.

“We’ve been working it, branding it little by little and had pretty rapid success at first,” Castillo said. “We held fairly steady when the economy was bad, and things have started to pick back up the last few months,” adding the goal is to grow it similarly to other family franchises like Las Palmas and Acambaro.

In any spare time, Castillo mentors elementary kids, teaches salsa dancing and enjoys outdoor activities at spots like Lake Fayetteville and Devil’s Den.

—Rob Keys