State v. Miguel Angel Santana, K17-83
LA PLATA, MD—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.
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