Shooter at Florida Airport Was Being Prosecuted for Allegedly Strangling His Girlfriend in Alaska

In the wake of the shooting that left five people dead and at least six others injured in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, on Friday, more information is coming out about the shooter’s alleged criminal history. The shooter, identified as 26-year-old Esteban Santiago, was being prosecuted for allegedly strangling and hitting his girlfriend last year, according to court documents filed in Anchorage, Alaska, where he lived. In January 2016, Santiago allegedly had an argument with his girlfriend and “was yelling at her while she was in the bathroom on the toilet,” according to a police report filed with the court documents. According to the police report filed with the court documents, Santiago allegedly forced his way into the bathroom and yelled, “Get the f–k out bitch” while “strangling [his girlfriend] and smacking her in the side of the head.” Santiago was arrested and released soon after, under the condition that he could not have any contact with his girlfriend. His charges included two misdemeanors: one assault charge and another for criminal mischief for damaging property, according to case records. But a February 2016 document revealed that Santiago had broken the terms of his release and he admitted that he had visited the victim’s home, according to court documents. However, the assault portion of the case was resolved in March 2016 when Santiago entered into a deferred prosecution agreement. According to The Daily Beast, this means prosecutors agreed to dismiss the charges in exchange for Santiago’s completion of requirements, the details of which are unknown. The other criminal mischief charge for damaging the victim’s door is still pending. Santiago was scheduled to appear in court for that charge in March of this year. PEOPLE reached out to Santiago’s lawyers but they were not immediately available for comment. Telemundo and NorthJersey.com spoke with Santiago’s aunt, Maria Luisa Ruiz, who said that the shooter had changed after he served a tour in Iraq with the National Guard. (According to various reports, Santiago had claimed that he had been “hearing voices.”) • Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter.

Shooter at Florida Airport Was Being Prosecuted for Allegedly Strangling His Girlfriend in Alaska was first published to http://www.cellulitesolutions.org

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