PA Bill Number: HR541
Title: Recognizing the month of October 2024 as "Domestic Violence Awareness Month" in Pennsylvania.
Description: A Resolution recognizing the month of October 2024 as "Domestic Violence Awareness Month" in Pennsylvania.
Last Action:
Last Action Date: Sep 27, 2024
PA: Reading police officer surrenders on criminal charges :: 05/21/2016
A Reading police officer has surrendered to authorities on criminal charges.
Ofc. Jesus Santiago-DeJesus said nothing to WFMZ's Ryan Hughes as he, along with his defense attorney, Allan Sodomsky, walked into District Judge Thomas Xavios' office in Reading late Thursday morning.
Berks County District Attorney John Adams announced a set of charges against Santiago-DeJesus, including official oppression, criminal attempt tampering with/fabricate physical evidence, false reports to law enforcement authorities, and criminal mischief.
Those charges stem from a traffic stop and a pair of arrests by the nearly four-year veteran of the force on April 5.
Shortly before 12:30 p.m. that day, Santiago-DeJesus stopped a car for failing to use a turn signal while parking in the 800 block of Greenwich Street, Adams said.
During a sequence of events that followed the traffic stop, Santiago-DeJesus could be seen on surveillance video punching the woman who was behind the wheel and smashing her cell phone to the ground, according to Adams.
"You clearly saw him hitting her. There's no question," Sodomsky said. "Why are there no assault charges? I can tell you why. There are no assault charges because his response was appropriate."
The driver, Marcelina Cintron-Garcia, who was using her cell phone to record video of the arrest, said she had to be taken to Reading Hospital to be treated for an injury she suffered when she hit her head against a pipe during the altercation with Santiago-DeJesus.
"There's a pretty good indication when the government hasn't charged assault charges that what we've been told and what Ofc. Santiago knows to be true, is the fact," Sodomsky added.
After her release from the hospital, Cintron-Garcia said she spent three days in the Berks County Jail on charges of aggravated and simple assault, harassment, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct and other offenses.
Those charges, as well as charges filed against her boyfriend, who was a passenger in the car, were subsequently dropped by the district attorney after an investigation by his detectives revealed that Cintron-Garcia had actually used her turn signal while parking.
"I haven't seen any video from Ofc. Santiago's point of view. None, and that would be behind the vehicle," Sodomsky said. "So, the fact that there's a turn signal in the front of the car doesn't give an indication of what Ofc. Santiago viewed, because he wasn't in front of the vehicle."
Officials said Santiago-DeJesus also attempted to damage and destroy potential audio and video evidence by slamming Cintron-Garcia's cell phone on the sidewalk.
"Once the dust settles and the facts are presented in their totality, as we know them to be, I think the truth will come out and we'll have an opportunity to see," said Sodomsky.
Santiago-DeJesus was freed after his arraignment on $25,000 unsecured bail, but he remains on administrative leave from the police force. He's due back in court for a preliminary hearing on June 29.
Cintron-Garcia and her boyfriend, Joel Rodriguez, who learned of the charges by watching 69 News at noon on Wednesday, said they're happy to see justice being served in the case.
