VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. – A man accused of leading law enforcement on a chase and shootout in Mount Dora is now facing a murder charge in connection with the death of his father, who is believed to have been killed in Volusia County before his body was found near an Orange County lake, according to the sheriff’s office.
The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office said on Thursday an arrest warrant was obtained for Jonny Santiago, 18, for second-degree murder in the death of his father, Juan Santiago, in July.
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Jonny Santiago has been in the Orange County jail since his arrest stemming from the shootout and chase in Mount Dora. The charges stemming from that incident include attempted murder of a law enforcement officer, discharging a firearm from a vehicle in public and aggravated fleeing and eluding lights and sirens.
According to the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office, Santiago’s family was concerned about the way he was acting and his father flew from New York on July 10 to their home in Deltona. The man’s mother was on the phone with Jonny Santiago when she heard him and Juan Santiago arguing over the keys to a white Ford F-150 pickup truck and then gunshots before the call disconnected, Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood said.
[RELATED: Body found near lake ID’d as father of suspect in Mount Dora shootout, Volusia sheriff says]
The truck was seen in DeBary, Sanford and Mount Dora before law enforcement was able to take Jonny Santiago into custody, according to the sheriff’s office. Jonny Santiago led authorities on a chase before crashing into a synagogue and shooting at police, deputies said. Officers shot back at Jonny Santiago, injuring him, according to the sheriff’s office.
The 18-year-old’s father was missing and considered endangered following the argument, deputies said. Chitwood said during a news conference after the man’s arrest he believed Santiago killed his father and dumped the body somewhere in Deltona.
Juan Santiago’s body was found near an Orange County lake days later. Chitwood said in a tweet that the suspect’s sister and cousin found Juan Santiago’s body while searching the bushes around Lake Avalon in Orange County in an effort to assist detectives.
Jonny Santiago remains jailed in Lake County.
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