In the early morning hours of April 17, 2024, a domestic disturbance in a Caldwell, Idaho, home escalated into a tragedy that claimed the life of 21-year-old Hispanic/Latino male, Danny Borges Santiago. At approximately 5:30 a.m., Caldwell Police Department officers were dispatched to a residence on the 12000 block of Trinidad Street following a 911 call reporting a shooting.
Upon their arrival, they discovered Santiago with a gunshot wound to his abdomen.
Emergency medical services transported Santiago to Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise. Despite the efforts of medical personnel, he was pronounced dead at 6:17 a.m. The Ada County Coroner's Office later confirmed that the cause of death was a gunshot wound to the abdomen and ruled it a homicide. The incident, described by Caldwell Police Chief Rex Ingram as a "senseless act of violence," was determined to be an isolated event with no ongoing threat to the public.
The suspect in the shooting, 33-year-old Felix Santiago-Torres, had fled the scene before police arrived. However, he later drove to the Nampa Police Department and turned himself in without incident. Santiago-Torres, who was known to the victim, was taken into custody by the Caldwell Police Department and subsequently booked into the Canyon County Jail on a charge of first-degree murder.
Further investigation revealed that the fatal encounter stemmed from a domestic dispute involving Santiago-Torres and Danny Borges Santiago's mother, whom Santiago-Torres was dating. Danny had intervened in the argument, which then escalated to the point where Santiago-Torres shot him. It was noted that Santiago-Torres had known the victim since he was a child and was considered to be his stepfather. Following a trial, a jury convicted Felix Santiago-Torres of first-degree murder with a deadly weapon enhancement. He was sentenced to life in prison and will be eligible for parole after serving 27 years.
