By: Richard L. Smith
In a courtroom filled with emotions, father, and son Newark police officers Louis Santiago and Lt. Luis Santiago faced sentencing for their roles in a tragic incident that resulted in the death of 29-year-old Damian Z. Dymka.
RLS Media was among about a half-dozen news outlets to witness the sentencing.
The incident, which occurred on November 1, 2021, on the Garden State Parkway in Bloomfield, led to both officers being charged with vehicular homicide, desecration of human remains, obstruction, and other charges related to their actions in the aftermath of the accident.
During the sentencing hearing, Patrick Toscano, the attorney representing Louis Santiago, pleaded with the judge for leniency, emphasizing that his client takes full responsibility for his actions.
He described the incident as a tragic accident and expressed his belief that Louis would become a model citizen once he completes his jail sentence.
Louis Santiago himself addressed the court, reading from a typed letter as he turned to address Dymka's family. He expressed deep remorse, saying, "Nothing I say will ever bring back your loved one, and I'm sorry." He accepted full responsibility for the incident, stressing that his family had no involvement in the tragic events.
As a police officer, he acknowledged that he should have known better and deeply regretted his actions that fateful night.
On the night of the accident, information obtained in the court proceeding confirmed that Louis had consumed several drinks before getting behind the wheel, which undoubtedly played a significant role in the following unfortunate events.
Dymka's father, speaking with heartfelt forgiveness, addressed the court and thanked the NJ State Police and everyone involved in solving the case. He openly forgave Louis for the incident but urged Louis to take this opportunity in jail to fix his life and learn from the incident.
Assistant Prosecutor Adam Wells represented the state during the hearing and emphasized that Louis could have easily called a rideshare or taxi service in this age of technology.
Instead, he seemed to believe that his status as a police officer made him invincible, leading to his irresponsible decision to drive while impaired. Wells characterized Louis' behavior as a despicable and disgusting act, not just on his part but also on behalf of his family.
The accident occurred when Officer Louis Santiago, who was off duty at the time, struck Dymka as he was walking on the shoulder of the Garden State Parkway. Instead of immediately calling for help, Louis and his cousin, Albert Guzman, who was a passenger in the car, left the scene and went to the Santiago family residence to meet with Lt. Luis Santiago, Louis' father.
RLS Media learned in today's sentencing that while Louis eventually returned to the scene and placed Dymka's body in his car, Officer Santiago drove away with the body.
Lt. Santiago, after a significant delay, called 911 from the crash scene.
The subsequent investigation resulted in a 16-count indictment against Louis, charging him with vehicular homicide, leaving the scene of a fatal crash, disturbing human remains, causing death while driving under the influence, tampering with evidence, hindering prosecution, and conspiracy.
Officer Santiago faced additional charges of official misconduct for deleting phone data, tampering with the crime scene, failing to call for emergency aid, and providing false statements to law enforcement.
Guzman was also charged with conspiracy to desecrate human remains, hinder prosecution, and tamper with evidence. Today he received pretrial intervention.
In addition to Louis, his father, Lt. Luis Santiago, was indicted for hindering prosecution by providing false information to the police on the morning of the incident.
During the sentencing, the Honorable Judge Wigler acknowledged that Louis had expressed remorse and appeared sorry because he wanted to expedite the case. The judge highlighted the difficulty of such cases, considering Louis's lack of prior trouble with the law.
However, he emphasized the gravity of Louis's actions, recognizing that the consequences would affect both families involved for the rest of their lives.
On June 7, Louis pleaded guilty to the charges, and during the sentencing, Judge Wigler sentenced him to five years for second-degree vehicular homicide and five years for second-degree disturbing human remains, to be served concurrently.
Louis was credited with 45 days of time served but will be required to serve 85% of the five-year sentence and will not be eligible for public employment in the future.
Lt. Luis Santiago, who retired from the Newark Police Department, received a two-year probation sentence on a fourth-degree obstruction charge. The judge considered his otherwise crime-free life and health conditions as mitigating factors during the sentencing.
Assistant Prosecutor Adam Wells recommended probation for Luis Santiago and future public employment restrictions within the state of New Jersey. The judge concurred, noting that Lt. Santiago had likely panicked when his son told him about the incident. The senior Santiago's Type II Diabetes health diagnosis was taken into consideration to avoid a lengthy probation sentence.
Although the state had recommended a five-year sentence, the judge recognized and saluted Lt. SaSantiago'slean record and law-abiding life.
Throughout the proceedings, emotions ran high, with the weight of tragedy felt by all parties involved.
The courtroom was filled with an air of sadness and closure as the sentencing came to an end. Families on both sides are left to grapple with the consequences of that fateful night, forever impacted by the actions of a father and son, once police officers who will forever be linked to this tragic event.
