New Charges For Man Accused Of Shooting Ex-Girlfriend In Sleepy Hollow

SLEEPY HOLLOW, NY — A man in Sleepy Hollow who was accused of shooting his ex-girlfriend and was charged with six felonies, including attempted murder, now faces additional charges.

Westchester County District Attorney Miriam Rocah announced Thursday that Ruben Santiago, 39, was arraigned on a 27-count indictment handed down by a grand jury.

He was previously charged in January with second-degree attempted murder, first-degree attempted assault, second-degree assault, two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon and aggravated criminal contempt, all felonies.

The charges now brought by the grand jury are:

• First-degree attempted murder, a felony
• Second-degree attempted murder, a felony
• First-degree attempted assault, a felony
• Three counts of first-degree burglary, felonies
• Two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, felonies
• Second-degree assault, a felony
• Aggravated criminal contempt, a felony
• First-degree criminal contempt, a felony
• 11 counts of second-degree criminal contempt, misdemeanors
• Four counts of endangering the welfare of a child, a misdemeanor
• Third-degree assault, misdemeanors

Rocah said this case highlights the potentially deadly combination of firearms and domestic violence.

“We will continue to fight to keep guns out of the wrong hands, and seek justice for the victims, which include children,” she said.

Prosecutors said Santiago, who doesn’t have a full-time place of residence, forcibly entered the Sleepy Hollow home of his former girlfriend in violation of an order of protection and shot her with a .38 caliber revolver while young children were present.

The woman suffered gunshot wounds to her neck and hand, police said, and was treated at an area hospital.

The district attorney’s office said the charges against Santiago also include the following allegations:

• Assaulting the victim while children were present on Dec. 23, resulting in his arrest on Dec. 29 by the Sleepy Hollow Police Department and the victim being granted the order of protection
• Violating the order of protection between Dec. 30 and Jan. 1
• Violating the order of protection again between Jan. 16 and Jan. 24 while in custody following his arrest on Jan. 3 by Sleepy Hollow police

Santiago remains at the Westchester County Jail. He is due back in court April 4.

The investigation was conducted by the Sleepy Hollow Police Department, with assistance from the FBI’s Westchester Safe Streets Task Force, Westchester County’s Real Time Crime Center, the Greenburgh Drug and Alcohol Task Force, the New York Police Department and the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office.