Eian H. Santiago | Homicide Watch Chicago

Father gets probation for shooting death of 3-year-old Eian Santiago, accidentally shot by 6-year-old brother

Jeff Mayes — Fri, 21 Oct 2016 12:07:40 -0500

By JORDAN OWEN
Chicago Sun-Times Wire

Michael Santiago | Chicago Police

A man who faced charges after his 6-year-old son found a loaded gun and accidentally killed his 3-year-old brother Eian H. Santiago last year in their Humboldt Park apartment has been sentenced to probation.

Michael Santiago, 26, pleaded guilty Monday to endangering the life or health of a child before Judge Alfredo Maldonado, according to Cook County court records.

Santiago bought a revolver to protect himself after the former gang member testified at a murder trial, prosecutors said last year. He did not have a concealed carry license or an FOID card.

Santiago’s 6-year-old son got his hands on the gun in the family’s apartment in the 1000 block of North Francisco just after 9 p.m. Oct. 17, 2015. He accidentally shot his 3-year-old brother as the toddler ate a bowl of macaroni and cheese, authorities said.

Eian Santiago | Facebook

The boys were under the supervision of their grandfather, who was in an upstairs apartment when he heard the shot.

The grandfather carried Eian from the apartment about a block to Norwegian American Hospital. Eian was later transferred to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he died.

Michael Santiago had warned his elder son that the Smith & Wesson .32-caliber revolver—bundled in a pair of pajama pants atop the refrigerator in the garden apartment—was to be handled “only by adults,” prosecutors said.

Police said the boy was playing cops and robbers when he fired the gun.

Judge Maldonado sentenced Santiago to two years probation, according to court records. He had been released on bond in the days following the shooting.

WEEK IN REVIEW: At least 9 die from gun violence, including 3-year-old accidentally shot by 6-year-old

Jeff Mayes — Mon, 19 Oct 2015 16:00:33 -0500

By JEFF MAYES
Chicago Sun-Times Wire
At least 9 people were killed in gun violence last week in Chicago, including a 3-year-old boy who died after being accidentally shot by his 6-year-old brother while playing cops and robbers with their dad's illegal gun.

Michael Santiago told a judge he bought the gun to protect himself after the former gang member was tagged with a “snitch” label for testifying at the murder trial of another gang member. But Santiago’s 6-year-old son got his hands on the gun and accidentally shot his brother while the toddler ate a bowl of macaroni and cheese, Cook County prosecutors said at Santiago's bond hearing.

Santiago said he warned his elder son that the Smith & Wesson .32-caliber revolver—bundled in pajamas atop the refrigerator in the family’s garden apartment in Humboldt Park—was to be handled “only by adults,” but the boy got the weapon and shot his brother, Eian H. Santiago, in the head just after 9 p.m. Saturday, prosecutors said. Police said the older boy was playing cops and robbers.

A family member carried Eian to Norwegian American Hospital. He was later transferred to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he died at 11:48 p.m., according to police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office. An autopsy ruled his death a homicide.

Santiago, 25, admitted he bought the gun off the street, and had no carry permit or FOID card, prosecutors said. He was charged with felony child endangerment causing death, and ordered held on a $75,000 bond.

Two people were shot—one fatally—in the Gresham neighborhood Sunday afternoon.

Brianna Jenkins, 19, and a 20-year-old man were sitting in a car about 4:30 p.m. in the 7800 block of South Honore when someone walked up and opened fire, according to police and the medical examiner’s office.

Jenkins, of the 2100 block of West 69th Street, was shot multiple times and pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said.

Friends drove the man to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where his condition stabilized.

About 2:05 a.m. Sunday, 22-year-old Dwayne Richardson was killed and another man wounded in a Roseland neighborhood shooting.

The men were in a vehicle pulling away from the curb in the 10500 block of South Prairie when a male walked up and opened fire, Chicago Police said.

The vehicle sped away and eventually crashed into a tree in the 10500 block of South Prairie, police said.

The driver, Richardson, was shot in the upper back and was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.

The 19-year-old man sitting in the passenger seat was shot in the left knee and was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where his condition was stabilized, police said.

David Thomas was shot and killed in a drive-by attack Friday morning on a Chicago Public Schools Safe Passage route in Englewood.

The 32-year-old Thomas was walking in the 6000 block of South Aberdeen when someone fired at him from a passing gray vehicle about 7:30 a.m., according to police and the medical examiner’s office.

Shot four times, he was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 8:51 a.m., authorities said. Thomas’ home address was unknown Friday afternoon.

A man found shot to death in Chatham early Friday was identified as Dameon Williams.

Williams, 28, got into an altercation with another male, who shot him in the head in the 8300 block of South Evans a few minutes after 1 a.m., according to police and the medical examiner's office. The suspect ran away after the shooting.

Officers found Williams dead at the scene, authorities said.

Eighteen-year-old Michael Fenner Jr. was killed and a 16-yer-old boy wounded in a Washington Heights neighborhood drive-by shooting late Wednesday.

About 11 p.m., Fenner and the younger teen were on a sidewalk in the 9700 block of South Peoria when someone opened fire from an SUV, according to police and the medical examiner’s office.

Fenner was shot in the chest and abdomen, and was pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said. He lived in the 9400 block of South Justine.

The younger boy was shot in the leg and was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Oak Lawn, where his condition stabilized, police said.

Henry R. Hayes was fatally shot in the Greater Grand Crossing neighborhood on Wednesday evening.

The 22-year-old was standing outside in the 7700 block of South Indiana Avenue at 5:20 p.m. when someone walked up and shot him several times in the chest, according to police and the medical examiner’s office.

Hayes, who lived nearby in the 300 block of East 77th Street, was pronounced dead at the scene.

A man was killed and a woman injured in a Chatham neighborhood shooting Tuesday night.

Tracey Morgan, 25, was sitting in a vehicle with a 56-year-old woman in the 8200 block of South Lafayette about 8:30 p.m. when another vehicle approached and someone inside opened fire, according to police and the medical examiner’s office.

Morgan, of the 7800 bock of South Hoyne, was shot in the abdomen and the woman was shot in the arm, authorities said.

Both were taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where Morgan was pronounced dead at 9:27 p.m., authorities said. The woman’s condition was stabilized.

Juan Cardenas of Blue Island died early Monday after being dropped off at a Near West Side hospital with a gunshot wound to the abdomen.

About 3:05 a.m. Monday, acquaintances dropped the 28-year-old off at Rush University Medical Center at 1653 W. Congress Pkwy., according to police and the medical examiner’s office.

Cardenas, of the 2700 block of Grunewald Street in Blue Island, was later transferred to Stroger Hospital, where he died at 5:02 a.m., authorities said.

Area Central detectives are investigating, but have not yet determined where the shooting took place.

Man charged after 6-year-old accidentally shoots 3-year-old brother Eian Santiago to death while playing in Humboldt Park

Jeff Mayes — Mon, 19 Oct 2015 12:40:26 -0500

By MITCH DUDEK
Chicago Sun-Times

Michael Santiago | Chicago Police

Michael Santiago bought a revolver to protect himself after the former gang member was tagged with the dangerous label of “snitch” because he testified at the murder trial of another gang member, according to Cook County prosecutors.

But his plan went terribly wrong, and his 3-year-old Eian H. Santiago paid the price.

Santiago’s 6-year-old son got his hands on the gun and accidentally shot his younger brother while the toddler ate a bowl of macaroni and cheese, killing him, prosecutors said at his Sunday bond hearing.

“This is the ultimate tragedy,” Cook County Judge James Brown said before setting Santiago’s bail at $75,000. “I’m sure the defendant didn’t intend for this to happen, but it did happen.”

Eian Santiago | Facebook

Santiago warned his elder son that the Smith & Wesson .32-caliber revolver—bundled in a pair of pajama pants atop the refrigerator in the family’s garden apartment in Humboldt Park—was to be handled “only by adults,” prosecutors said.

But the boy got ahold of the weapon and shot his brother in the head just after 9 p.m. Saturday, prosecutors said. Police said the boy was playing cops and robbers.

Santiago, 25, gave a videotaped statement to police in which he admitted he bought the gun off the street for protection. He was charged with felony child endangerment causing death.

Prosecutors said Sunday that Santiago had no concealed carry license, nor did he have an FOID card.

The boys were under the supervision of their grandfather, who was in an upstairs apartment when he heard the shot.

The grandfather carried the boy from the family’s apartment on the 1000 block of North Francisco Avenue about a block to Norwegian American Hospital. The boy was later transferred to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

At the time of the shooting, Santiago was working at a pizza restaurant that he manages. His wife was at a grocery buying milk with the couple’s third child, who is 1.

According to the public defender assigned to the case, Santiago’s family could gather only $1,000 for bond.

Santiago’s family wept during the hearing and declined to speak with reporters in the hallway of the criminal courts building at 26th Street and California Avenue.

Santiago has no felony convictions on his record. In 2010, he was convicted of misdemeanor theft and disorderly conduct, prosecutors said.

Santiago, who wore a T-shirt bearing the logo of the pizza shop he manages and kept quiet in court while mostly looking at the floor, is the primary caretaker and provider of the family, his public defender said.

The bail amount, be it high or low, “is not going to bring back this child,” the judge lamented.

Santiago is due back in court Oct. 23, according to the Cook County sheriff’s office.