NJ cop hit, killed pedestrian and then removed the body from the scene: prosecutors

A police officer in New Jersey is accused of killing a pedestrian and removing the body from the scene.

Louis Santiago, 25, was charged with a host of crimes in connection to the Nov. 1 incident, according to the Essex County Prosecutor’s office.

Around 3 a.m. Nov. 1, Santiago was driving a Honda Accord on the Garden State Parkway, according to prosecutors. He didn’t maintain his lane and went on to the shoulder and hit Damien Z. Dymka, 29.

After the collision, neither Santiago nor Albert Guzman, a passenger in the car, called 911 or gave aid, according to prosecutors. They returned to the scene multiple times before Santiago loaded the victim in the car and took him from the scene.

Santiago took the remains to his home in Bloomfield, New Jersey. There, Santiago and his mother, Annette Santiago, discussed what to do with the body, prosecutors said. Santiago then went back to the scene.

Santiago’s father, a lieutenant with the Newark police, called 911 to say his son was involved in a crash, police said. When the New Jersey State Police arrived, the victim was dead in the back seat of the car.

Louis Santiago was charged with vehicular homicide, leaving the scene of a crash resulting in death, endangering an injured victim, desecrating/moving human remains, hindering one’s own apprehension, conspiracy to hinder prosecution, tampering with physical evidence, obstructing the administration of law and two counts of official misconduct.

Santiago is a police officer with Newark police.

Guzman and Annette Santiago were charged with conspiracy to desecrate human remains, hindering apprehension and conspiracy to hinder apprehension and tamper with physical evidence.