When Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale threw the ceremonial first pitch at Game 6 of the Houston Astros’ decisive World Series win, Griselda “Grizzy” Castillo was there.
Of course she was. Many of her thousands of social media followers had supported the online petition to get the famous furniture pitchman on the pitcher’s mound.
Without any “bleeps” over McIngvale’s heated spoken response to a Philadelphia Phillies fan at an earlier game, “Grizzy’s Hood News” replayed the argument over and over online.
Her followers went crazy for Mack’s spirited defense — his “f” word wasn’t “furniture” — of his beloved home team. So, they supported the petition promoting the multi-millionaire mattress salesman’s appearance at Game 6 in Houston.
If there is news happening in the “hood,” or anywhere else in Houston, “Grizzy’s Hood News” is there. And, if she’s not, she’s posting videos or photos from her thousands of followers, known as the “Hood News Peeps” on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok.
Some of her videos have been watched at least 300,000 times. Others have been used by a local TV news station.
Castillo, 43, a graduate of MacArthur High School in the East Aldine Management District, started the website in 2019. Now she has nearly 400,000 followers. Many of them are paying subscribers.
Whether it’s a car crash on the freeway, mold in a middle school building, a robbery of a convenience store by inept bandits, or a gang of sophisticated van-driving thieves, Castillo and/or her crew are there to record and post it. If someone is missing in Houston, Castillo helps their loved ones by posting vital information. She’s also frequently helped, personally, in searches for missing persons.
Castillo often offers prayers for potential victims, along with advice to “please be careful out there.”
And, she frequently adds hilarious commentary to the videos of bumbling bad guys whose crimes are caught on camera.
“Look where he puts the beer,” Castillo laughingly comments as a store surveillance video shows a local “beer bandit” tucking a 6-pack into his jeans.
On a video doorbell’s recording of a package thief, Castillo noted that the guy was “jammin’ to Soulja Boy” as he pushed the stolen goods in a baby stroller.
She records her news stories on her phone and drives to crime scenes in her own vehicle.
She’s created such a following that she was recently invited to speak at a local journalism conference. The local chapter of the Society of Public Relations Professionals recently featured Castillo on a panel about how to use “non-traditional” news outlets. She proudly points out that she is definitely not part of the “MSM,” or mainstream media.
After high school, Castillo was attending the University of Houston Downtown when she “fell in with the wrong crowd” and was arrested for aggravated robbery in 2003.
She pleaded guilty, served a prison sentence, completed parole and earned an associate degree from Houston Community College.
She became a paralegal and later developed a desire to get into the news business. That career goal apparently started, as it does for many journalists, with the thud of a newspaper on the front lawn.
When the Northeast News landed at her mother’s house, Castillo says she was the first person to scour the news about her neighborhood in northeast Harris County. Even as a youngster, she devoured the local weekly.
While her approach to the news differs from a weekly newspaper’s staid, traditional approach, Castillo is driven to keep her community informed, balancing crime coverage with safety tips.
As police in northeast Houston recently searched for a freeway shooter, she cautioned her readers: “If you’re out and about, keep you heads on swivel.”
Driving through a parking lot with several broken car windows, Castillo reminded her audience, “Don’t leave your purse and packages in your vehicle.”
She has been working very hard in recent weeks on a Christmas toy charity drive. She also recognizes area businesses that support the community with charitable activities.
“I always like to give a shout-out to local businesses,” Castillo said.
Her philosophy about the news in the ‘hood is: “Love one another,” Castillo said.
“I just want people to look out for each other. That’s my philosophy.”
— By Anne Marie Kilday
