In the winter of 2017, the life of a Hispanic 16-year-old female named Evalyce Santiago was tragically cut short. On the evening of December 4th in Waterbury, Connecticut, a car crash on Thomaston Avenue revealed a scene far more sinister than a simple accident. First responders arrived to find a vehicle engulfed in flames. Inside, in the passenger seat, was Evalyce, who had been shot multiple times in the head and hand before the crash occurred.
The driver of the car, 27-year-old
Dominique Pittman, was found at the scene, appearing shaken and with minor injuries. As the investigation unfolded, a complicated and disturbing picture of the relationship between Pittman and the young girl emerged. Pittman was not only romantically involved with Evalyce, a student at Wilby High School, but he also had three children with her older sister. This troubling dynamic was known to some in the family, though the full extent of the relationship between Pittman and Evalyce was not clear to everyone.
Initially, Pittman claimed that he and Evalyce had been struggling over the gun when it accidentally discharged. However, his story was inconsistent and police grew suspicious. The investigation ultimately revealed that Pittman had shot Evalyce because she had threatened to tell his long-term girlfriend about their relationship. Faced with the evidence against him, Dominique Pittman was arrested and charged with murder and various weapons violations.
In September 2018, Dominique Pittman pleaded guilty to the murder of Evalyce Santiago. During the sentencing, her family spoke of the vibrant and intelligent young woman they had lost. Pittman, in turn, offered an apology to her family for his actions. He was subsequently sentenced to 35 years in prison for the murder, bringing a legal conclusion to a case that left a family and a community grieving the violent end of a young life.
