ALLENTOWN, Pa. – The Lehigh County District Attorney’s Office has announced a state prison sentence for a man charged in an Allentown armed robbery and killing that occurred in 2020. 

Jose Santiago of Allentown pleaded guilty in May to charges of Conspiracy to Commit Robbery and Murder of the Third Degree, according to the District Attorney’s office.

At a hearing on Monday, Santiago was sentenced to serve 30-60 years in state prison. 

Officials say that Santiago’s wife, Latasha Santiago, was also charged in the case. She was sentenced earlier this month to serve 10 to 20 years in state prison after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Robbery, the press release says. 

This case was filed after a re-evaluation of existing evidence in 2024 by Allentown Police Detective Harold Bonser and Detective Timothy Salgado of the Lehigh County Homicide Task Force and was prosecuted by First Assistant District Attorney Eric Dowdle and Senior Deputy District Attorney Gregory Englert, according to the DA’s office. 

On Oct. 17, 2020, at approximately 3:25 p.m., Allentown police were called to the 100 block of East Hamilton Street at the bridge for a report of a man who was shot, the press release says. 

Authorities say that a person who called 911 said after the shooting, the suspect jumped over the side of the bridge and got in a car with an open passenger door that was driven by Latasha Santiago. 

The victim, 21-year-old Christian Lopez-Rodriguez, had a gunshot wound to his abdomen, according to authorities. The victim succumbed to his injuries and died in a local hospital. His death was ruled a homicide by the Lehigh County Coroner. 

Officials say that officers on the scene spoke with a victim who was walking with Lopez-Rodriguez at the time of the shooting. The victim told police they were walking eastbound across the Hamilton Street bridge when Jose Santiago approached them, showed a gun and told them to “run their pockets,” according to the DA’s office.

The second victim said he handed Santiago his wallet containing $181.50 and during the robbery, Lopez-Rodriguez punched Santiago, who then opened fire and shot Lopez-Rodriguez, according to authorities. 

Officials say that the second victim told the police he pulled out his own handgun and shot Santiago, who fled. While fleeing, Santiago shot at the second victim as well. 

Several minutes after the shooting, Santiago walked into a local hospital with a gunshot wound to his leg, the press release says. He was accompanied by Latasha Santiago. While being treated, Santiago turned over his handgun. 

Video surveillance was also recovered from the Hamilton Street bridge that showed the robbery and killing, according to officials. 

Santiago’s gun and recovered ballistic evidence was analyzed by the Lehigh County Firearm and Tool Mark Laboratory and Detective Mark Garrett determined they were used to kill the victim.