Alleged gunman arrested for March homicide
A man accused of shooting two men, killing one, in a Waldorf neighborhood in March was arrested in a police raid last Wednesday, law enforcement announced. Several handguns, a large amount of marijuana and cash were also recovered from the home.
Charged with second-degree murder and attempted murder, Angel Miguel Santana, 26, of Waldorf remains in custody after his bail was set at $1 million on Thursday, court
records show.
Santana’s co-defendant and alleged getaway driver, Rashaad Jovonni Brawner, 21, of Waldorf was arrested in late March and charged with murder days after the double-shooting on Gittings Court that killed 19-year-old Thomas Elijah-Isaih Tibbs.
On the evening of March 23, Brawner and Santana were driving through the area when Brawner saw a group of men on Gittings Court, court records state. Brawner had a conflict with one of the men, so he stopped the car and got out to confront him. A physical altercation ensued and Brawner ultimately retreated back to the car. Several men were trying to pull Brawner out of the driver’s seat by his legs when Santana allegedly fired several shots from within the car. The men started to run, but Tibbs was struck by two bullets in the chest and arm and the man — who Brawner had initially confronted — was shot in his buttocks.
Around 6:11 p.m., Charles County Sheriff’s Office deputies were dispatched to the 2500 block of Gittings Court for a reported shooting. Upon arrival, officers found Tibbs and the other victim suffering from gunshot wounds, police records show. Tibbs was airlifted to MedStar Washington Hospital Center where he died a few hours later.
Detectives assumed the investigation and spoke with a witness who identified Brawner as the driver of the vehicle, court records indicate. An arrest warrant was issued the following day, charging him with second-degree murder.
On March 28, Brawner was arrested and later spoke with investigators about the shooting. Brawner reportedly identified Santana as the shooter and said he knew he had a gun, but did not know he was going to shoot anyone.
In June, officers began surveillance of Santana’s residence in the 2600 block of Rooks Head Place and reportedly observed him conduct several “hand to hand” narcotic exchanges in the parking lot in front of the home.
Around 5:09 a.m. on July 20, police raided the home and arrested Santana for the double-shooting. While searching the residence, officers recovered three handguns, several loaded magazines, over a pound of marijuana with an approximate street value of $15,000 and about $2,500 in cash.
Santana was also charged with first-degree assault and reckless endangerment for a December 2014 incident. After getting in a heated argument with Brawner, Santana allegedly followed him to his car outside the Gittings Court residence holding a handgun and fired four shots into Brawner’s car before walking away without further incident, charging documents state.
A preliminary hearing date for Santana is scheduled for Aug. 19. Brawner is scheduled to stand trial on Oct. 3.