On a winter afternoon in Trenton, New Jersey, the life of 25-year-old Jerard Perdomo Santana, a Hispanic male, was tragically cut short. On January 22, 2018, Perdomo Santana, an aspiring rapper also known as Elmii Problema, was sitting in a parked Ford Taurus with his 19-year-old friend, Ivan Rodriguez. As the car idled on a street in the Chambersburg neighborhood, gunfire erupted, striking both men. A third individual in the car was also wounded but managed to drive himself to the hospital.
Responding to reports of shots fired around 2:20 p.m., police discovered the grim scene on Ashmore Avenue, finding Perdomo Santana and Rodriguez unconscious. Both were rushed to a local hospital but were pronounced dead shortly after arrival. The incident was investigated as a double homicide, with some sources suggesting a robbery may have been the motive, though this was not officially confirmed.
The investigation into the violent deaths of Jerard Perdomo Santana and Ivan Rodriguez led to a significant breakthrough months later. In May 2018, authorities announced the arrests of several individuals in connection with the double murder. Among those taken into custody were Cecil Blake, Shaquille McNeill, and Tashawn Santiago. Soon after, a fourth suspect, Lakeisha Hill, was apprehended. The investigation suggested a coordinated effort in the killings, with sources indicating that McNeill was the alleged triggerman, acting on orders from Blake.
Ultimately, a Mercer County grand jury returned a 14-count indictment against six individuals for their alleged roles in the crime. Cecil Blake, 31, Shaquille McNeil, 24, Tashawn Santiago, 25, and Lakeisha Hill, 29, were each indicted on two counts of first-degree murder, one count of first-degree attempted murder, and numerous weapons offenses. Two other individuals, Felicita Gee, 43, and Fantasia Gee, 24, faced charges of hindering apprehension for allegedly providing false information to law enforcement during the investigation. Following the indictments, the four murder suspects remained incarcerated.
