Springfield Stabbing Victim Jessica Rojas Has Died,Cops Arrested BF Jose Santiago

[Whisper]

Jose Santiago

SPRINGFIELD - Jessica Rojas, the 25-year-old city woman who police say was stabbed multiple times early Saturday morning, has died, becoming the city's third murder victim this year.
Capt. Peter Dillon said Rojas lived at 132 Washburn St., in the north end, where she was stabbed at approximately 3:15 a.m. Saturday. She was brought to Baystate Medical Center, where she later died, Dillon said.
Police said they are seeking Jose Santiago, 30, Rojas’ sometimes boyfriend, on an arrest warrant charging him with murder.
Dillon said Rojas’s family told police that she recently got a new job as a legal assistant. She worked for City Hall, in the law department.
Mayor Domenic J. Sarno said he knew Rojas, even though she had only been working for the city for a short time.
“She was a nice, pleasant young lady with a lot of opportunity. I’m very sorry to hear about it,” Sarno said.
Sarno said he was notified about the murder early Saturday morning, and reached out to Rojas’s mother. He said Rojas worked with the city’s director of licensing, attorney Alesia Days.
“Police are working very hard to hunt down the individual responsible for this tragic event. I’m sure they will get the individual but it’s not going to bring back Jessica,” Sarno said.
He said Rojas also had four children.
Dillon said the investigation is continuing.
According to Rojas’s Facebook page, she celebrated her 25th birthday on Friday at a Springfield club. Her page indicates that she had been dating Santiago recently.
Springfield police are asking anyone with information about Santiago to call the Detective Bureau at (413) 787-6355 or “Text-a-Tip.”
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http://www.masslive.com/news/index.s...victim_ha.html

Jessica Rojas

UPDATED

Police have captured the man they believe killed Jessica R. Rojas, 25, a Springfield City Hall employee and mother of four who was stabbed to death early Saturday at her home at 132 Washburn St.
Jose C. Santiago, 30, of 90 Westminster St. was taken into custody by a team of law enforcement officials at about 8:30 a.m. Monday at Baystate Medical Center, Springfield Police Capt. Peter J. Dillon said. The arrest took place in a hospital parking garage, Dillon said.
Investigators did not indicate how they homed in on Santiago, who was Rojas' on-and-off boyfriend and the subject of a citywide manhunt since Saturday's killing. The McKnight resident was spotted by detectives as he tried to enter the hospital at 759 Chestnut St., said Sgt. John M. Delaney, a spokesman for Springfield Police Commissioner William J. Fitchet.
"The arrest was made without incident," Delaney said.
Police said Santiago was expected to be arraigned on a murder charge in Springfield District Court on Monday.
U.S. Marshals, troopers from the Massachusetts State Police Violent Fugitive Apprehension Team and officers from the Springfield Police Department Warrant Apprehension Unit apprehended Santiago, who was wanted for a parole violation in Connecticut. Dillon said he was unsure of the underlying charges in that case.
Santiago did not appear to have any prior arrests in Springfield or ties to city street gangs, Dillon said, adding that Santiago does have an out-of-state record. Details were not immediately available.
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Police said there were witnesses to the crime and a weapon was recovered, though they did not identify the type of weapon used in the deadly assault. However, Rojas was stabbed several times by Santiago, who fled the scene and evaded authorities through the weekend, police said.
The couple had been arguing during the hours prior to Rojas' death, police said.
Shortly before her death, Rojas had celebrated her 25th birthday with friends and family at a city night spot. It was unclear if Santiago was at that gathering.
Rojas' Facebook page includes several images of her and Santiago, including a recent photo dated Feb. 26. The page indicated that she had planned to celebrate her 25th birthday at Ultra Glo Lounge, a Worthington Street nightclub.
"My 25th birthday is next Friday (March 2). Those of you who wish to celebrate with me, hmu! I'll be celebrating at the glo lounge, if u want to be added on my guest list please let me know! Wish to see many of you there![sic]," Rojas wrote on her page.
Rojas enjoyed running and "being (a) mommy," among other things, according to her Facebook page.
"I'm still in shock myself, I was just with her!" said a post written by a person using the alias "Little Carmen."
Springfield Mayor Domenic J. Sarno said he knew Rojas even though she had only been a city employee for a short period. He offered his condolences and had earlier expressed confidence that city detectives would would find her killer.
"She was a nice, pleasant young lady with a lot of opportunity. I'm very sorry to hear about it," Sarno said. "Police are working very hard to hunt down the individual responsible for this tragic event. I'm sure they will get the individual, but it's not going to bring back Jessica."

http://www.masslive.com/news/index.s...atch_jose.html

[Whisper]

Court officers in Hampden District Court 1 wrestle a person who attacked Jose Santiago during Santiago's arrignment on Monday afternoon. Santiago is being led out of the courtroom at left.

03/05/12-Springfield-Staff Photo by Dave Roback-Court officers in Hampden District Court 1 wrestle a person who attacked Jose Santiago during Santiago's arraignment on Monday afternoon.

Brawl erupts in courtroom during murder arraignment of Jose Santiago, charged with killing Jessica Rojas

arraignment of suspect Jose Santiago was disrupted Monday afternoon when two men from the audience charged Santiago as he was brought into the courtroom.

Court officers immediately tackled the two men and wrestled each to the ground. Santiago was escorted back to a holding cell for his own safety as the courtroom was cleared.

The incident occurred just before 4:30 p.m.

The two men were taken into custody and now face a multitude of charges for disrupting a court proceeding and multiple charges of assault and battery on the court officers. Each was taken back to the Springfield Police Station to be booked.

Their identities and the exact charges were not available.

Santiago, 30, of 90 Westminster St. was taken into custody by a team of law enforcement officials at about 8:30 a.m. Monday at Baystate Medical Center, Springfield Police Capt. Peter J. Dillon said. The arrest took place in a hospital parking garage, Dillon said.

He is charged with killing his girlfriend, Jessica R. Rojas, 25, a Springfield City Hall employee and mother of four who was stabbed to death early Saturday at her home at 132 Washburn St.

When the courtroom was cleared, Santiago was brought back in to be arraigned on the murder charge. He pleaded not guilty and was ordered held without the right to bail.
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http://www.masslive.com/news/index.s...room_duri.html


Video at link

[EdwardRichtofen]

do they really charge the family of a victim if they freakout in court like that? Come on, should the family reasonably be expected to remain calm?

[Dakota Valkyrie]

Come on, should the family reasonably be expected to remain calm?

It CAN be reasonably expected because most families DO refrain from disrupting court. Is it understandable? Certainly. But trials would take forever if they had brawls breaking out all the time.

Edwin Rojas, the father of murder victim Jessica R. Rojas, and Kenneth Soto both pleaded innocent Tuesday in District Court to charges brought after a disturbance in the courtroom Monday.

Edwin Rojas, the murder victim's father, and Soto, her stepfather, both denied a charge of disrupting court proceedings.
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Both Rojas and Soto were taken to the Police Department Monday afternoon but were released after they each posted a $500 bail.

At the arraignment today, Assistant District Attorney Marie Angers told Judge John M. Payne Jr. the state will return the bail money and the men can remain released on personal recognizance.
[...]

Both Rojas and Soto will be back in court April 10.

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