In the spring of 2014, a domestic dispute escalated into a fatal encounter on the streets of Mount Vernon, New York. On the afternoon of April 1st, 26-year-old Michael Anthony Santiago, a male resident of the Bronx, went to the apartment of his ex-girlfriend on Sheridan Avenue to retrieve some of his belongings. Their relationship had ended approximately eight months prior.
As Santiago arrived, he was confronted by Kamau Kiarie, a 35-year-old man from the Bronx who was present at the location.
The confrontation quickly turned violent as Kiarie, armed with a shotgun, opened fire on Santiago in broad daylight. The attack was witnessed by people in the vicinity, creating a scene of panic. Santiago was struck multiple times, with a final, fatal shot to the head. The brazen nature of the daytime shooting shocked the local community. Responding police officers arrived to find Kiarie at the scene, where he surrendered without any resistance.
Kamau Kiarie was immediately taken into custody and subsequently charged with second-degree murder and two counts of criminal possession of a weapon. The investigation that followed revealed that Kiarie was the ex-girlfriend's new partner. The motive for the killing was determined to be jealousy. At the time of his death, Santiago was reportedly in a new relationship and was looking forward to starting a new job. He was the father of two young sons.
In October of 2015, a jury found Kamau Kiarie guilty of all charges. During the sentencing phase, the court learned more about the cold and calculated nature of the crime. For his actions, Kiarie was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison for the murder charge, with an additional 15 years for each of the weapons charges, ensuring he would spend a significant portion of his life behind bars for the violent end he brought to Michael Santiago's life.
