Aurora’s Santiago charged with first degree murder, other crimes following shooting

Santiago
Suspect allegedly killed two people with revolver, another victim in critical condition
An Aurora woman faces multiple felony charges after she reportedly admitted to shooting three people; one in Aurora and two in Carroll County, Ark. Taylor Santiago, 31, is charged with first-degree murder, first-degree robbery, unlawful use of a weapon, and first-degree child endangerment.
According to the probable cause statement in the case, at around 2 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 23, the Aurora-Marionville Police Department dispatched officers to a residence in Aurora after they received a phone call from a woman who said she had killed three people. At the residence, they found Santiago and took her into custody. They then entered the residence and found the victim, Troy Huffman, deceased. According to a posting by Chief Wes Coatney on the Aurora-Marionville Facebook page, Huffman was Santiago’s estranged husband.
A detective with the AMPD reported that he conducted a post-Miranda interview with Santiago. During the interview, the detective said, Santiago told him that she decided late in the evening of Jan. 22 that she was going to kill Huffman, as well as her estranged lover, identified as NG, and NG’s current girlfriend.
Santiago allegedly told the detective that she invited Huffman over to her apartment under the pretense of seeing their child. She said that she then told the child that she was going to “take care of the bad guys” and instructed the child to cover their ears. She then drew her .38 revolver and hid it behind her back before she left the room where the child was.
Next, Santiago said, she shot Huffman twice and then took his car keys. She also reportedly told the detective that she invited Huffman over to her residence with the intent of killing him and stealing his car.
Afterward, Santiago reportedly told the detective, she drove to Carroll County, where she said she killed NG and his girlfriend.
Sheriff Daniel Klatt of the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office reported on their Facebook page that deputies had responded to a report of a disturbance at a residence on Jan. 22 and had found a woman shot dead and a man seriously injured. As of press time, the man’s condition was unknown.
Coatney stated in his Facebook posting that the AMPD was actively working with the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office to investigate the shootings. It was not immediately clear if Santiago had been charged in Arkansas.
Santiago appeared in court at the Lawrence County Justice Center on Monday, Jan. 27, where she waived formal arraignment. She is scheduled to reappear in court on Monday, Feb. 3, for a bond reduction hearing. As of press time, she remained in custody in the Lawrence County Jail.
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Lawrence County Record
312 S. Hickory St.
Mt. Vernon, MO, 65712
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