A 27-year-old Waterbury man has been charged with the murder of his 16-year-old girlfriend and the teens family members said they had no idea the teen was dating a man who had fathered several children with one of her aunts.
Police identified the victim as 16-year-old Evalyce Santiago, of Waterbury, and said they have charged her 27-year-old boyfriend, Dominique Pittman, a father of three, with her murder.
"The factors that caused this tumultuous end are still under investigation and we’re hoping to resolve that shortly," Waterbury Police Deputy Chief Fernando Spagnolo said during a news conference Tuesday afternoon.
Francisco Rivera, Santiago's grandfather, raised her and said that he did not know the teen was dating the 27-year-old and that Pittman has fathered several children with his daughter, who is Santiago’s aunt.
"Nobody knows nothing until something happens. That’s when we all realize the tragedy. It was under our noses and we didn’t see it," Francisco Rivera told NBC Connecticut.
"We go on with life. He looks at four walls and figures out what he did wrong," Rivera said.
Police found Santiago’s body around 10 p.m. on Monday when they responded to the scene of a car that crashed and was on fire in the 1700 block of Thomaston Avenue in Waterbury.
U.S. & World
Santiago, who was in the passenger seat, had been shot three times in the head and hand, according to police.
Police said Pittman was "visibly shaken" at the scene and had some bumps and bruises.
On Wednesday, prosecutors said he tried to mislead police by saying a third person was involved in murder.
School officials said Santiago was a student at Wilby High School, but had recently transferred from Crosby High School. Grief counselors were available at both schools on Wednesday and will be available after that if needed.
Bond for Pittman was initially set at $1 million, but was increased to $3 million. He is due in court on Dec. 20 and a mental health evaluation was ordered.
Police said Pittman has also been charged with weapons violations, including carrying a pistol without a permit and weapons in a motor vehicle.
Pittman's family had no comment after court.
