Miguel Angel Santana, 29, of Waldorf
UPDATE 12/12/2019: Tony Covington, State’s Attorney for Charles County, announced that on Thursday, December 12, 2019, Charles County Circuit Court Judge Amy J. Bragunier sentenced Miguel Angel Santana, 29 of Waldorf, to life in prison for Conspiracy to Commit the First-Degree Murder of Lydell Wood and Possession of a Firearm with a Disqualifying Crime.
On April 3, 2019, a Charles County jury found Santana guilty of the above-mentioned charges.
On January 6, 2016, officers responded to the 2600 block of Rooks Head Place in Waldorf for the report of a shooting. Upon arrival, officers found one victim, Lydell Wood, with a single gunshot wound in his back. The victim succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased.
An investigation into the shooting revealed that an acquaintance of Wood got into a confrontation with Santana earlier that day while Wood and other men were present. The acquaintance brandished a handgun and shot at Santana. Wood had no involvement in the shooting. Santana fled the area unharmed and contacted co-defendant Antonio Ka-Juan Owens to help him retaliate.
Santana was later identified as one of the shooters by witness testimony, as well as other extensive corroborating evidence.
Co-defendant Owens was previously found guilty by a Charles County jury of First-Degree Murder and related charges for his involvement. He was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole plus 50 years in prison on August 30, 2018 by the Honorable Judge H. James West.
At sentencing, Assistant State’s Attorney Jonathan Beattie addressed the judge, “[the defendant] has shown a propensity for violence. Mr. Santana is a violent and dangerous person. There’s no other way to spin it. The only thing to look at is his history – and that is a very horrifying and dismal picture. The State asks that Your Honor incapacitates the defendant for as long as humanly possible to ensure he does not victimize anyone else in this community or another [community].”
Prior to his conviction for this case, Santana was convicted for the first-degree murder of another victim. Santana is serving life plus 105 years in a prison for that case.
UPDATE 4/4/2019: Tony Covington, State’s Attorney for Charles County, announced that on Wednesday, April 3, 2019, a Charles County jury, after an 8-day trial, found Miguel Angel Santana, 28, of Waldorf, guilty of Conspiracy to Commit the Murder of Lydell Wood and Possession of a Firearm with a Disqualifying Crime.
Covington, commenting on the case, said, “This is Mr. Santana’s second conviction for killing somebody. He killed two people within a two-month period and the two murders had nothing to do with each other. He has already been sentenced to Life plus 105 years for the other case. Trust me, the State will be asking the Court to give him another Life sentence. We can’t allow someone to go around killing multiple people – innocent bystanders at that – and think for a minute that they get to walk around a free man ever again.”
On January 6, 2016, officers responded to the 2600 block of Rooks Head Place in Waldorf for the report of a shooting. Upon arrival, officers found one victim, Lydell Wood, with a single gunshot wound in his back. The victim succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased.
An investigation into the shooting revealed that an acquaintance of Wood got into a confrontation with Santana earlier that day while Wood and other men were present. The acquaintance brandished a handgun and shot at Santana. Wood had no involvement in the shooting. Santana fled the area unharmed and contacted co-defendant Antonio Ka-Juan Owens to help him retaliate.
Santana and Owens returned to the area in search of the person who shot at Santana earlier in the day. When Wood was spotted, Santana and Owens confronted him. Wood ran away after both men brandished guns. Santana and Owens gave chase and fired several gunshots, striking Wood in the back as he attempted to find safety and enter a house in the neighborhood. After the shooting, both men fled the area.
Santana was later identified as one of the shooters by witness testimony, as well as other extensive corroborating evidence.
Co-defendant Owens was previously found guilty by a Charles County jury of First-Degree Murder and related charges for his involvement. He was sentenced to Life without the possibility of parole plus 50 years on August 30, 2018, by the Honorable Judge H. James West.
A sentencing date for Santana has not yet been scheduled.
Jermall Davon Taylor, 25, of Landover
10/10/2017: Jermall Davon Taylor, 25, of Landover, received numerous charges, in connection with the murder of Lydell Wood, 29, of Waldorf, in January 2017.
Around 2:00 p.m. on Jan. 6, 2016, Deputies with the Charles County Sheriff’s Office responded to the 2000 block of Rooks Head Place in Waldorf for a reported shooting.
Police found the victim identified as Lydell Walter Wood, 29, of Waldorf laying in the doorway of a home. Wood had a gunshot wound to his chest. EMS workers pronounced Wood dead at 2:29 p.m. and his body was transported to the University of Maryland Charles Regional Medical Center.
Witnesses told Police, two unknown black males chased after Woods and shot at him with a handgun. Woods was trying to get away from the men and tried to enter a home on the 2000 block of Rooks Head Place while being shot.
On January 27, 2017, Miguel Santana, 27, of Waldorf was charged with first-degree murder and other related charges. His trial is set for December 4, 2017, in Charles County Circuit Court, according to court documents.
On June 16, 2017, Antonio Owens, 22, of Suitland was charged with first-degree murder and other related charges. His trial is set for November 13, 2017, in Charles County Circuit Court, according to court documents.
Police discovered from witnesses that one of Woods’ associates shot at Santana, which may have led to the shooting homicide of Wood.
On June 16, a witness, who previously provided information, came forward with more information. According to court documents, the witness did not relay this information because they did not want to get Taylor “in trouble.”
The witness told the officers that Taylor was the person who shot at Santana, prior to Wood being shot and killed, according to court documents.
On Aug. 23, officers spoke with another witness who said that they saw Wood, Taylor and another individual walking in the neighborhood and walking past Santana standing outside his home.
The witness said they saw Wood, Taylor and another person talking to Santana, then Santana followed the group around the corner of the neighborhood. The witness soon heard gunshots and saw Santana go into his residence and come out with a gun. The witness then drove Santana and Owens, both armed with guns, around the neighborhood, looking for the group.
Taylor’s charges:
- One Count of Second Degree Assault
- One Count of First Degree Assault
- One Count of Reckless Endangerment
- One Count of Handgun on Person
- One Count of Possession of Firearm with Felony Conviction
- One Count of Firearm Illegal Possession
- One Count of Use of Firearm with Felony Conviction
- One Count of Illegal Possession of Ammunition
