On the night of October 30, 2017, Humberto Varela-Caballero, a 30-year-old Hispanic male, was tragically killed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He was fatally shot during an attempted armed robbery as he was bringing food home to his pregnant girlfriend. The incident occurred near South 7th Street and West Becher Street, just outside his residence. Varela-Caballero suffered four gunshot wounds to the chest.
The investigation into Varela-Caballero's murder uncovered a 20-day crime spree
involving three men: Ivan Santiago, Marco Felipe, and Rodolfo Pantojas-Juarez. This string of violent crimes included home invasions, kidnappings, torture, and other shootings. The Milwaukee Police Department connected the 9mm handgun used to kill Varela-Caballero to at least five other crime scenes through spent casings. This same weapon was later discovered at Santiago's home.
All three men were eventually apprehended and faced multiple felony charges. Ivan Santiago was found guilty of first-degree intentional homicide and two counts of armed robbery, among other charges, and was sentenced to life in prison plus 25 years. Marco Felipe pleaded guilty to three charges and received a sentence of 15 years in prison with nine years of extended supervision. Rodolfo Pantojas-Juarez also pleaded guilty to three charges and was sentenced to 25 years in prison and 15 years of extended supervision. The motive behind their violent spree was reportedly a debt Pantojas-Juarez owed to a Mexican cartel. In a startling turn, it was revealed that Pantojas-Juarez had previously worked for Varela-Caballero's family and even sent a condolence text to a family member after the murder.
