Prosecutor: Suspect failed to kill himself with multiple tries
A former Chicago man who was arrested in Florida this week strangled his girlfriend at his Pilsen apartment early last year, then unsuccessfully tried to kill himself through electrocution, a pill overdose and with a hangman’s noose, authorities said.
In court Friday, a Cook County prosecutor said Angel Santiago, 39, who’d been working as a truck driver for Krispy Kreme, got jealous after learning from text messages on her phone that Antonia Berrios, 33, had a new boyfriend.
After killing her — and failing to kill himself — on Jan. 24, 2012, Santiago took off for Florida, where FBI agents tracked him down and arrested him last month, Assistant Cook County State’s Attorney Jennifer Dillman said during a hearing at which a judge ordered Santiago held without bail.
Berrios’ family got worried when they hadn’t heard from her for a few days, went to Santiago’s apartment and found Berrios’ body, Dillman said.
When the police got to the apartment in the 2000 block of South May, they encountered a bizarre scene, Dillman said, including sticky notes he apparently wrote, one of which, referring to Berrios’ new boyfriend, said: “Because of Michael, this happened.”
In the bathroom sink, investigators found vomit mixed with pills, Dillman said. The bathtub was one-quarter full, and a noose — fashioned from a heavy-duty extension cord — was hanging from the rear porch, she said.
FBI agents and police in south Florida arrested Santiago June 26 in Florida City.