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TAVARES, Fla. — The man accused of shooting at Lake County Sheriff’s Office deputies and Mount Dora Police officers in 2022 when he was just 18 years old, has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for his Lake County crimes, according to court records, but his legal troubles are far from over.
Jonny Ze Guiseppe Santiago, now 22, pleaded no contest last week to two counts of attempted murder of a law enforcement officer, fleeing and eluding and discharging a firearm from a vehicle after fleeing from law enforcement and firing shots on Donnelly Street in Mount Dora on July 11, 2022.
The shooting came as Santiago was already being sought in connection with the disappearance of his father, Juan Santiago, in Volusia County.
The Volusia Sheriff’s Office began investigating after receiving a call from Jonny Santiago’s mother, who was in New York, on July 10, 2022. She said she had been on the phone with her husband, Juan Santiago, 52, when she heard him arguing with Jonny. She then heard a loud noise before the call disconnected.
Deputies responded to the family home on East Lehigh Drive in Deltona and found no one there. A white Ford F-150 Jonny Santiago was known to drive was also missing.
Volusia deputies later spotted the truck in nearby DeBary, but it fled. The truck also later fled from Sanford Police Department officers.
A BOLO (be-on-the-lookout) alert was issued the following day and LCSO Capt. John Herrell told Inside Lake in 2022 investigators received information the truck may be headed toward Lake County.
LCSO utilized its helicopter, Eagle One, and located the truck near U.S. Highway 441 and Eudora Road. Deputies attempted a traffic stop, but Santiago fled south on U.S. Highway 441 toward Mount Dora.
Dash camera and body-worn camera footage showed Santiago firing at pursuing deputies and Mount Dora police officers on Donnelly Street several blocks before crashing in downtown Mount Dora.
The truck continued south on Donnelly Street before crashing into a synagogue, where Santiago opened fire again at deputies and officers. Two deputies and one Mount Dora officer returned fire. Santiago was struck multiple times and airlifted to Orlando Regional Medical Center. He later recovered from his injuries.
Juan Santiago’s body was found on July 14, 2022, wedged between bushes in a remote area near Lake Avalon in Orange County by family members using a tracking app, Volusia Sheriff Mike Chitwood said at the time. He had been shot five times.
Jonny Santiago was charged with second-degree murder in his father’s death in September 2022. His next court date in that case is scheduled for June 9.
Previous stories: Teenager Who Shot at Cops Transferred to Lake County Jail, Volusia Sheriff Says Missing Dad’s Body Found – Inside Lake
Wanted Suspect Shot at least once after Opening Fire on Law Enforcement – Inside Lake
