22-Year-Old Charged with Murder Following Violent Home Invasion in Cayo District

Police have arrested and charged 22-year-old Jermaine Joseph Cruz for the murder of Santiago Rajo. Investigators believe Cruz fatally shot the 46-year-old father of five in Teakettle Village, Cayo District on February 9. Around 1:30 a.m., Rajo was awakened by his brother, Tomas, who had been attacked by three masked men. The bandits had forced Tomas, his wife, and his son into their home and stole several of their belongings. Tomas was brutally attacked but managed to quickly inform Roja that the men were escaping on his motorcycle. Rajo then tried to pursue the thieves but was shot multiple times. Today, police charged Cruz, a construction worker of the Cayo District, with the church leader’s murder.