Grandsons Charged in Bronx Woman's Death

A depressing follow-up to yesterday's already depressing story about a grandmother being accidentally shot to death by a grandson in the Bronx. Now it turns out the grandson who fired the gun was 14 and that he and his brothers had a cache of weapons, including a .380 automatic, .38 revolver, and 9mm semiautomatic. Apparently 14 year old Enrique Pantoja was playing with one of the guns when it went off, going through a bedroom wall and hitting 65 year old Lydia Santiago. According to the Daily News, his brother, 16 year old Luis Pantoja, hid the guns in another apartment building "as Santiago bled to death inside the family's Soundview apartment." The police also found crack and marijuana in Luis's bedroom.

Enrique was charged with manslaughter and possession of weapon while Luis was charged with tampering with evidence. The boys' mother and daughter of the victim Carmen Santiago wept to the News, "We have to move out of the neighborhood. It's too easy for kids to get guns and do bad things." One of Santiago's neighbors, Saharrah Thomas, who tried to help the dying grandmother, said, "These are good kids, and this was not something they wanted to happen. It was an accident, just an accident. These kids don't belong in jail...It is so easy to get guns on these streets. But it takes something like this to happen to a loving family for us to realize that." It is sad and tragic and clearly something that none of the kids wanted to happen, but they did have the guns. Mayor Bloomberg's efforts to stem illegal gun sales sound better and better.

Neighbors told the NY Times that they have seen a drug dealer try to convince the younger boys to run drugs.

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By Jen Chung in News on December 17, 2006 10:05 AM

Comments [rss]

truthurts

"We have to move out of the neighborhood. It's too easy for kids to get guns and do bad things"

Oh yeah..Blame the neighborhood!..How about blaming YOURSELF for failed parenting skills. I am sick of these empty headed leeches!

Oh yeah really good kids..sure! I swear they live in a denial bubble. How did a 14 year old get money to have an assortment of guns?

Aaron

The sarcastic comments made here are not without warrant, but the reactions of those involved with the boys seem genuine.

I don't believe that this incident was innocent at all and that it's a true tragedy. It must be said that one or both of the parents of the boy were ineffective in raising the boys.

Certainly they must be punished in juvenile prison lest they do something similar or worse in the future.

miss demeaner

3 guns is a cache? White gun nuts would say that's a good start to a nice collection. Have you seen the size of some gun safes are nowadays?

And, it's probably going to be a misdemeanor charge if a clean gun is found in your residence. Don't quote me on that, contact your lawyer.

However, having that illegal gun outside and it's 3.5 yrs.

rob

"these kids don't belong in jail...it is so easy to get guns on these streets. but it takes something like this to happen to a loving family for us to realize that."

maybe for you to realize that.

they belong in jail. it's one thing for a kid to find a gun in his daddy's dresser drawer. it's another thing to have a weapons closet that would've made david koresh wet his pants.

Patrick

Oh yeah they're good kids. Everyone is always 'good' eh.

Guns are really easy to get, all the neighborhood kids have at least three. When I was growing up I had a tank. Its what good kids too.