On the morning after Christmas 2021, 31-year-old Terench Joseph Santana was shot in the head outside a deli near East 168th Street and Morris Avenue in the Bronx. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Santana lived in Astoria with his girlfriend and their infant daughter but often returned to the Bronx despite his family’s concerns for his safety.

The same shooting also wounded 40-year-old Sergio Santana, who was shot in the neck, arm, and back and taken to Lincoln Hospital, where he later died. A gun was found under Sergio’s body when police moved him, a detail that suggests there may have been a struggle or an attempt at self-defense. The motive was unclear in the immediate aftermath.

Days after the double homicide, police arrested 40-year-old Clifton Savage at his home and charged him with murder and manslaughter in connection with both deaths. Authorities said a large quantity of narcotics was found during the arrest and that Savage had an extensive arrest history dating back to 1997. Terench’s family described him as kind and caring; he had been working seasonal jobs with UPS and DoorDash and was close to getting a permanent position with UPS.

If anyone has information about what happened that night, please come forward.