Opinion ID: 783826
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The Murder of Santiago

Text: 8 After forming the Junta Central, Pimentel decided to put Santiago on trial for the alleged rapes of Netas members. Following his release from prison in November 1994, defendant Jorge Aponte, a member of the Netas, assisted Pimentel and Garcia in conducting a pretrial investigation. As part of this investigation, Aponte interviewed Santiago with regard to the allegations. Following this investigation, Santiago was tried by the Netas before a jury consisting of all the presidents of the various Netas chapters, which convicted him and, after deciding not to execute him, sentenced him principally to a physical beating and the loss of his rank. After receiving his beating, Santiago left the meeting visibly upset, and on his way out began making threats against Pimentel and the Netas. Pimentel ordered that Santiago be watched. Shortly thereafter, Santiago, carrying a revolver, angrily told Aponte that he was going to kill Pimentel and Garcia. Aponte then paged Garcia to report Santiago's threat. 9 In response to Santiago's threats, Pimentel ordered his murder. On the evening of January 9, 1995, Viruet drove Garcia and Aponte to Santiago's house. While Viruet waited in the car, Aponte called out to Santiago to come to the door. When Santiago came to the door, Garcia shot and killed him. Garcia and Viruet then drove to Pimentel's house and informed her that Santiago was dead. 10 There was conflicting testimony concerning Pimentel's role and motives in Santiago's murder. Aponte testified that Garcia called him back after receiving his page, went to Aponte's house, and the two of them went out looking for Santiago. But, according to further testimony by Aponte, it was during this visit that Pimentel told Aponte that Santiago had a lot of people scared and had to be whacked because [Pimentel] had a child. Aponte then agreed with Pimentel that Santiago should be killed and told her okay, green light. 11 Garcia's testimony also suggested Pimentel's involvement. He testified that it was Pimentel, not himself, who returned Aponte's page and that Pimentel told Aponte and others about Santiago's threats. According to Garcia, Pimentel said: You know what you have to do. [Santiago has] to go. Garcia testified that, when he and Aponte went looking for Santiago, Aponte was fully aware of the reasons why they were looking for him and that Aponte had bragged about his good aim in an effort to convince Garcia to let him shoot Santiago. Garcia further testified that, when Viruet and another Netas member named Michael Sisson arrived at the apartment, Pimentel told them what happened, what I was going to do, and that she wanted them to go with me. Garcia also testified that, while Viruet was driving them away from the murder scene, Garcia received a page from Pimentel indicating that she knew the mission had been completed. Garcia claimed that, when he arrived back at Pimentel's apartment, the people there were celebrating, and Pimentel indicated that she had already heard about what had happened. When others tried to talk to Garcia about the murder, he told them to forget about it and went out for a walk. 12 Finally, Sisson testified that, on the night of the murder, Pimentel spoke of a need to kill Santiago to the people who were assembled at her apartment, saying that she [was] worried [Santiago] [was] going to come after them and that she wanted to get rid of him. Sisson also testified that, when Pimentel asked Garcia what happened upon his return from the murder scene, Garcia provided a detailed account of the shooting to her. 13