Pelham Bay Park: One Arrested in Double Homicide Vehicle Fire Investigation

By SÍLE MOLONEY

STEVEN SANTIAGO, 34, IS sought by police in connection to a double homicide which occurred in Pelham Bay Park in May 2022.
Photo courtesy of the NYPD

Following the reclassification by the NYPD last year of a vehicle fire in Pelham Bay Park in the East Bronx to a double homicide investigation, the NYPD announced on March 7 that they arrested one person in connection with the incident.

As reported, on Monday, May 16, 2022, at around 4.19 a.m., police responded to a 911 call regarding a vehicle that was reported to be on fire on Shore Road in the vicinity of Pelham Split Rock Course in Pelham Bay Park in the East Bronx. Upon arrival at the location, officers said the “observed a sedan on the side of the road engulfed in flames.” FDNY personnel, already on scene, extinguished the fire and discovered two unidentified bodies inside the vehicle.

Police officials added, “Both aided [victims] were pronounced deceased on the scene by EMS. The Medical Examiner was to determine the cause of death and the Fire Marshal was to determine the cause of the fire. On Monday, May 23, 2022, following a report received from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner on the cause of death of the two car occupants, the NYPD provided a further update on the incident, saying it had been deemed a double homicide.

STEVEN SANTIAGO 34, IS sought by police in relation to a double homicide in Pelham Bay Park in May 2022.
Photos courtesy of the NYPD

They said, “In addition to extensive burns on their respective bodies, each of the victims sustained gunshot wounds to their heads and bodies. Both victims (one male, one female) are 22-years-old. There are no arrests and the investigation remains ongoing.”

On May 26, 2022, the deceased were identified as Jesse Parrilla, 22, of Manhattan and Nikki Huang, 22 also of Manhattan.

On July 28, 2022, police issued an appeal to help locate two people sought for questioning in connection to the incident. The first was Jahmel Sanders, 30, who was described as being 5 feet, 7 inches in height and weighed 150 pounds. The second was Steven Santiago, 34, who was described as being 6 feet, 1 inch tall and weighed 220 pounds.

Surveillance photos of both individuals as they appeared prior to the incident (left side of image) as well as file photos of the two (right side of image) are attached.

On Dec. 22, 2022, a combined reward in the amount of $10,000 was offered for information regarding the incident, with up to $3,500 payable by CrimeStoppers upon arrest and indictment, and $6,500 payable by the NYPD upon arrest and conviction of the person(s) responsible for the incident.

JAHMEL SANDERS, 30, WAS arrested on March 7 in connection with a double homicide in Pelham Bay Park in May 2022.
Photo courtesy of the NYPD

On March 7, 2023, the NYPD said Sanders was arrested in connection with the incident. He was charged with murder, manslaughter, robbery, grand larceny, kidnapping, arson, criminal use of a firearm and criminal possession of a weapon.

A person arrested and charged with a crime is deemed innocent unless and until convicted in a court of law.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit tips, anonymously, by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM, or on Twitter @NYPDTips.

All calls are strictly confidential.

admin

Welcome to the Norwood News, a bi-weekly community newspaper that primarily serves the northwest Bronx communities of Norwood, Bedford Park, Fordham and University Heights. Through our Breaking Bronx blog, we focus on news and information for those neighborhoods, but aim to cover as much Bronx-related news as possible. Founded in 1988 by Mosholu Preservation Corporation, a not-for-profit affiliate of Montefiore Medical Center, the Norwood News began as a monthly and grew to a bi-weekly in 1994. In September 2003 the paper expanded to cover University Heights and now covers all the neighborhoods of Community District 7. The Norwood News exists to foster communication among citizens and organizations and to be a tool for neighborhood development efforts. The Norwood News runs the Bronx Youth Journalism Heard, a journalism training program for Bronx high school students. As you navigate this website, please let us know if you discover any glitches or if you have any suggestions. We’d love to hear from you. You can send e-mails to norwoodnews@norwoodnews.org or call us anytime (718) 324-4998.