Family of missing man ‘destroyed,’ hopeful he is alive

DELTONA, Fla. — Relations between the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office and the family of a man missing after likely being shot by his son improved Wednesday, deputies reported, as members of the family began speaking out for the first time since the string of violence began.

Juan “John” Santiago, 52, has not been seen or heard from since his wife reported hearing gunshots while on the phone with him. He had been arguing with his son, 18-year-old Jonny Santiago, after the younger Santiago’s behavior became erratic, deputies said.

According to Sheriff Mike Chitwood, the son had 20 minutes to clean and prepare between the shooting and when deputies arrived at the house. Investigators found bloody clothes and shell casings in the driveway, but no sign of the father.

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“The entire family is completely destroyed,” attorney Brian Pakett explained from his office in West Palm Beach. “They are all very close-knit. The family is just concerned and is hoping and praying for the safe return of their father, their brother.”

Pakett said the family had been overwhelmed by the situation, leading to miscommunications and the sheriff accusing them – namely, Juan’s wife – of not cooperating with deputies. With additional time to process, fly to Central Florida and get affairs in order, deputies reported an increased level of cooperation Wednesday.

From a couch in Deltona inside the house where the shooting took place, Justo Burgos Santiago Jr. said it was difficult to process what had happened.

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“Their relationship was excellent. There was no issues,” he said.

He referred to the elder Santiago as his brother, although the two are technically cousins, and said he was a loving father. He said the teenager had been an excellent child who was heading to college in a few weeks to play football – the reason the family had bought a second house in Florida to begin with.

“Something went wrong,” Burgos mused.

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His attorney, Pakett, said the family would stay in Volusia County as long as needed to support Jonny Santiago and assist with the investigation.

“There is some belief and hope that he is still alive and that he will turn up,” he said.

On Wednesday night, Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood posted on Facebook stating that he understands this is a hard time for the family and asked that people focus on finding the missing father.

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“This is the time for Jonny’s mom to be a parent, go to his hospital room, grab him by the collar and demand answers,” Chitwood wrote.

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