Community Shocked by Domestic Murder in Jeffers Glen Neighborhood

COLUMBIA, Md. — Residents of the Long Reach Jeffers Glen community are grappling with shock and fear after a domestic murder occurred over the weekend. Howard County police are actively searching for Darwin Carcamo Santiago, 24, who is accused of strangling his girlfriend, 35-year-old Esmeralda Perez Mendez from Takoma Park.

The incident took place during the early hours of Sunday morning, although many neighbors, including Elizabeth Chesnut, reported hearing nothing unusual. Chesnut, who lives next door, expressed her horror upon learning about the crime. “Sent chills up my spine. That I’m downstairs watching TV and on the other side of the wall somebody’s getting killed,” she stated.

Authorities revealed that an acquaintance with a key discovered Mendez's body in Santiago's bedroom. Chesnut recalled having limited interactions with Santiago, describing him as friendly and polite, but noted the unsettling reality that anyone could commit such an act.

Neighbors indicated that Santiago was one of several roommates living in the townhome, which raised questions about the knowledge of the other residents regarding the events that transpired. “There’s just no way that many people in that confined of an area did not hear, see or know something. I just can’t believe that,” Chesnut remarked.

Reports suggest that Santiago had only moved into the residence about six months prior and that all the roommates were employed at local restaurants owned by their landlord. Chesnut observed the typical comings and goings of the household until the morning of the tragedy, when she witnessed paramedics and police arriving at the scene.

Feeling empathy for Mendez's family, Chesnut criticized the apparent nonchalance of the remaining roommates after the incident, noting, “They come home from work that night. They go out for work the next day, like nothing ever happened.”

Following the murder, it was reported that the other roommates began moving out of the home, packing their belongings on Monday morning. Police have since issued an arrest warrant for Carcamo Santiago, who faces charges of first- and second-degree murder.

Reported by HarborBeat based on WMAR-2 News (source).