A 26-year-old former Police Officer will serve several years in prison after confessing to hitting a pedestrian with his car while intoxicated, leaving the scene, returning to take the dead body of the victim, leaving with the dead body in his car, and then coming back to put it back.
In a report by Law & Crime, Former Police Officer Santiago and the prosecution came to an agreement, and former Police Officer Santiago pleaded guilty to one count each of official misconduct, desecrating human remains, and reckless vehicular murder. In return, the 13 further charges against him were dismissed by the prosecution. Former Police Officer Santiago was given a five-year prison term by Wigler, to be served concurrently on each count.
Former Police Officer Santiago and Guzman left the site and headed to the Santiago family home where they spoke with Santiago’s mother and father rather than dialing 911 right away. Santiago then drove back to the scene of the collision and loaded Dymka’s body into his vehicle. Prosecutors claimed that as former Police Officer Santiago left the site with Dymka’s body, his father rushed to the scene and “after a significant delay” dialed 911. Then, carrying Dymka’s body,former Police Officer Santiago and Guzman went to Santiago’s parents’ house. Before the State Police came and discovered Dymka dead in the backseat, former Police Officer Santiago drove back to the scene of the collision with Dymka’s body inside soon after his father had dialed 911.
According to the statement, former Police Officer Santiago’s mother, Annette Santiago, 53, of Bloomfield, and Albert Guzman, 25, of Newark, who was allegedly a passenger in the car at the time, are also being charged.
Former Police Officer brought home the dead body of the pedestrian after hitting him with his car (Photo: Unsplash)
In a report published by abc NEWS, both are accused of conspiring to destroy human remains, obstructing law enforcement, and conspiring to obstruct law enforcement and tamper with physical evidence.
According to the statement, former Police Officer Santiago is also accused of leaving the scene of an accident that resulted in death, endangering an injured victim, desecrating/moving human remains, obstructing the administration of justice, hindering one’s own arrest, conspiring to obstruct prosecution, tampering with physical evidence, and two counts of official misconduct.
The statement claims that all three were detained, accused, and given restricted releases.
