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DNA on McDonald’s cup links Milwaukee woman to husband’s 2020 execution-style killing

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DNA on McDonald’s cup links Milwaukee woman to husband’s 2020 execution-style killing


Cassandra Hult and Jose Santiago fought a lot during their short but turbulent marriage.

Santiago would turn up dead in a Milwaukee cemetery after an especially intense argument with his wife years ago.

Hult was questioned several times by police, but wasn’t arrested. She eventually left the state and carved out a new life for herself in the Southwest.

Prosecutors say in court papers Hult confessed to her house mates and a new lover she was the one who pulled the trigger, and killed Santiago, 27.

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Hult, 28, was in a Milwaukee County courtroom Monday, some four years after Santiago’s execution-style slaying, answering to charges she shot her husband in the back of the head and left for him dead.

She is charged with first-degree reckless homicide. The charge against Hult also includes a modifier for use of a dangerous weapon, which means she can be subject to additional penalties if she is convicted.

During a preliminary hearing Monday, Circuit Court Judge Jeffrey A. Wagner found there was sufficient probable cause to bind the case against Hult over for trial.

Hult pleaded not guilty through her attorney, Theodore O’Reilly, of Milwaukee.

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Her bond was set at $500,000. She remained locked up at the Milwaukee County Jail.

Hult’s next court appearance is set for July 10.

More: Suspect in death of mother of 10 is back in Wisconsin. Here’s what we know

More: Chrystul Kizer pleads guilty in 2018 Kenosha County homicide, avoids possible life sentence

Here’s what authorities believe happened:

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According to a May 6 criminal complaint, a jogger spotted a black Lincoln LS as she ran through St. Adalbert Cemetery on March 22, 2020. A man was sitting in the driver’s seat. She didn’t think much of it and kept going.

The next day, she jogged through the cemetery in the early afternoon and saw the vehicle again in the same spot. She went through the cemetery around 6 p.m. and, again, it appeared to not have moved.

The jogger approached the car window and saw the person inside was unresponsive and called 911.

The man had been shot in the back of the head. A spent casing from a .380 pistol was found in the rear driver’s side seat. 

Milwaukee police Detective Jake Puschnig testified Monday that forensic testing conducted on two McDonald’s cups found in the car turned up fingerprints and DNA for both Santiago and Hult.

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More: ‘Justice system failed,’ judge says as Milwaukee man gets life for killing woman in 2022 during argument

Hult told investigators she and Santiago had been married for about a year and a half, and that they often fought.

One of those fights erupted on the morning of March 22, 2020.

She said they argued that day when she found texts on Santiago’s phone with other women and confronted him. Hult told investigators Santiago kicked her out of the car, and that afterwards she went to stay at her grandmother’s home on Milwaukee’s north side.

She mentioned nothing about going to McDonald’s.

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Cellphone tower records show both Santiago and Hult’s phones were in the same general area at the time the jogger first spotted Santiago in his car, according to the complaint.

Hult also gave inconsistent accounts on what else she did that day, the complaint said.

More: Facing mostly white juries, are Milwaukee County defendants of color truly judged by their peers?

Hult resurfaced a year later in Buckeye, Arizona, where she had been with a woman and her daughter. Hult got into a heated argument on Sept. 27, 2021 with the woman, who told Hult to leave. She left, but the war of words continued on FaceTime.

During the argument, Hult threatened to kill the woman and blurted out that she had killed her husband back in Milwaukee, the criminal complaint said.

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The woman’s daughter also told Buckeye detectives Hult confessed to her she executed her husband and left him on the south side, according to the complaint. 

On May 2, a man told police he had met Hult in Las Vegas in January 2022 and that they quickly began a romantic relationship. Shortly afterwards, she moved in with him in Sacramento, California. While he was in a relationship with her, Hult confessed “multiple times” that she killed her husband, the criminal complaint said.

A warrant for Hult’s arrest was issued May 6, court records show.



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Milwaukee, WI

Milwaukee police chase, 15-year-old driver arrested

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Milwaukee police chase, 15-year-old driver arrested


Milwaukee Police Department (MPD)

Milwaukee police arrested a 15-year-old boy after a pursuit across the city’s north side Wednesday night.

What they’re saying:

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The chase started around 9:20 p.m. MPD said officers saw a vehicle that was wanted in an armed robbery and tried to stop it near 33rd and Locust, but the driver took off.

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The chase ended roughly two miles away near 29th and Roosevelt, where the driver got out and ran. MPD said the suspect’s vehicle continued to roll and collided with another vehicle. Officers ultimately caught the 15-year-old and took him into custody.

What’s next:

Criminal charges will be referred to the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office.

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The Source: FOX6 News requested information from the Milwaukee Police Department.

 

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Milwaukee, WI

Milwaukee stabbing near 40th and McKinley; 1 wounded, 1 arrested

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Milwaukee stabbing near 40th and McKinley; 1 wounded, 1 arrested


Milwaukee Police Department

One person was taken to the hospital after a stabbing in Milwaukee on Wednesday night, Jan. 7. 

What we know:

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According to Milwaukee police, a 26-year-old was stabbed around 7 p.m. near 40th and McKinley. 

Milwaukee police arrested a suspect on the scene.

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What you can do:

Anyone with any information is asked to contact Milwaukee police at 414-935-7360 or to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 414-224-Tips or P3 Tips.

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The Source: The information in this post was provided by the Milwaukee Police Department. 

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Milwaukee man charged; officer trapped in defendant’s getaway car

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Milwaukee man charged; officer trapped in defendant’s getaway car


A 26-year-old Milwaukee man is accused of fleeing police during an arrest attempt. An officer who was present to make the arrest ended up being trapped in the backseat of the defendant’s vehicle during an attempt to flee law enforcement. The accused is Kewane Daniels – and he faces the following criminal counts: 

  • First-degree recklessly endangering safety
  • False imprisonment
  • Operating a motor vehicle to flee or in an attempt to elude an officer
  • Second-degree recklessly endangering safety

Property taken, arrest attempt

What we know:

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According to the criminal complaint, Milwaukee police reported to the Comfort Suites near 118th and Silver Spring after a caller indicated that “property had been taken from her by the defendant,” the complaint says. The caller indicated location data alerted her that the property was in the hotel parking lot. Daniels also had two warrants for his arrest. 

The caller reached out to Daniels to come outside and meet her. Law enforcement were going to assist with arresting Daniels and getting the property back.

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The complaint indicates Daniels approached his car, and an officer followed and positioned himself behind an open rear door. He “drew his service weapon knowing that Daniels was reported to frequently be armed,” the complaint says. The officer ordered Daniels not to place the car in drive, but the complaint says Daniels ignored the orders and “accelerated in reverse in an attempt to flee (the officer).”

Arresting officer trapped in defendant’s vehicle

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Dig deeper:

The officer, who was now being forced to back pedal, “realized he could not keep up with the quickly reversing vehicle, and feared he may be overtaken and crushed beneath the auto. (The officer) stated that he had to jump into the open rear passenger’s seat in order to escape the possibility of being knocked down beneath the oncoming vehicle’s door and tires,” the complaint says.

The defendant quickly accelerated out of the hotel parking lot with the officer in the rear seat. The officer “continually ordered him to stop the car,” the complaint says. The officer stated, “Daniels fled at a high rate of speed near 90 mph east on W. Silver Spring Drive while losing control and mounting the curb several times,” the complaint says. During this entire incident, the officer said he “kept his service weapon aimed at Daniels while in the back seat. Due to the speeds and reckless driving, (the officer) could not exit the vehicle,” the complaint says.

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The court filing says the officer having his firearm pointed had no effect on Daniels pulling over the vehicle. Later, he put his weapon away to try and convince Daniels that he was not in danger and to pull over the vehicle. Instead, the defendant continued fleeing and driving recklessly, the complaint says.

Defendant bails, car crashes

What we know:

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Near 92nd and Birch Avenue in Milwaukee, the complaint says, “Daniels opened the driver’s door and abandoned the vehicle which was still moving at approximately 35 mph.” The officer remained trapped in the rear passenger seat of the driverless vehicle which “came to a stop when it mounted the curb, continued into a front yard, and eventually crashed into a tree,” the complaint says. It is noted that Daniels’ vehicle had the child locks engaged, so the officer was unable to exit the vehicle on his own.

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Officers in other squads quickly located Daniels. The complaint indicates the defendant was “missing footwear in extremely frigid temperatures.” His footwear was recovered in a grassy area near where he was taken into custody.

What’s next:

Online court records indicate Daniels is scheduled to make his initial appearance in Milwaukee County court on Thursday, Jan. 8. 

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The Source: Information in this post was provided by Wisconsin Circuit Court Access and the criminal complaint associated with this case.

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