In a fit of jealous rage, a 20-year-old man named Brihan 'Zuriel' Martinez Calderon was shot and killed in North Charleston. His life was cut short on November 20, 2022, when Rigoberto Rojas-Santiago murdered him in the driveway of his own home. The tragic events of that day were set in motion when Rojas-Santiago discovered text messages between his children's mother, Guadalupe Sanchez, and Calderon.
Consumed by jealousy, Rojas-Santiago took Sanchez's vehicle and phone, using it to text
Calderon while pretending to be her. He first went to the restaurant owned by Calderon's aunt and uncle in Moncks Corner, eventually tricking Calderon into revealing his location. With Sanchez in the car, Rojas-Santiago drove to Calderon's house. He lured Calderon outside, held him at gunpoint for over two minutes, and then shot him once in the heart. After the single gunshot, Rojas-Santiago jumped back into the car, telling Sanchez that he had only shot Calderon in the leg and that he would be fine. However, Brihan Martinez Zuriel Calderon died at the scene from the gunshot wound.
The North Charleston Police Department's investigation quickly led them to Guadalupe Sanchez, whose vehicle was used in the commission of the crime. A key piece of evidence was a ring surveillance video provided by Calderon's roommate, which captured the murder. Although the killer in the video was hooded and had his face obscured, witnesses were able to identify him as Rojas-Santiago based on his stature and clothing. During the trial, Sanchez testified that Rojas-Santiago was the killer. Further evidence was found during a search of Rojas-Santiago's residence, where officers discovered a firearm that matched the cartridge case found at the scene, along with over 70 rounds of the same type of ammunition used in the murder.
On the third anniversary of the murder, a Charleston County jury convicted Rigoberto Rojas-Santiago for the murder of Brihan Martinez Zuriel Calderon. He was sentenced to serve the remainder of his natural life in the State Department of Corrections. Prosecutors described Rojas-Santiago as a jealous, controlling, and manipulative individual who stalked and murdered Calderon to ensure that Guadalupe Sanchez was his and only his.
