The Pinellas Park neighborhood where Dawn Randall lives became a deadly crime scene Saturday morning. "There must have been at least 20 police cars out here total with the forensic team," Randall recalled.
The scene remained after a man was arrested early Saturday for allegedly running down his live-in girlfriend with his car after an argument, killing her.
According to Pinellas Park Police, Luis Antonio Santiago, 48, and Belinda Thomas, 36, were arguing when she fled their house in the 8400 block of 60th Street North just after 1 a.m. Thomas fled on foot, but Santiago got into a 2004 four-door Dodge and followed her, detectives said, eventually striking her about two blocks from their residence.
Santiago abandoned the truck and fled on foot. When emergency crews arrived on scene, Thomas was pronounced dead.
Around 6 a.m., Santiago was located by the Pinellas Park Police SWAT team at a residence on the 4600 block of 83rd Avenue North, where he was taken into custody.
"We’re just all really upset," Randall said. "We’re all really affected by it, because she was a single mother with three children and we all feel really bad for the children, and the mom of course."
Santiago was booked into the Pinellas County Jail on a 1st-degree murder charge. According to records, Santiago has two prior arrests for domestic battery.