Defense questions teen’s confession in slaying of father-to-be

BALTIMORE (Map, News) - The attorney for a teenage boy charged with murdering a father-to-be on Mother’s Day weekend said she plans to investigate the “truthfulness” of the teen’s confession.

“This is a young kid who never had any criminal record,” said Margaret Mead, the attorney for Daniel Eugene Thompson Jr., 17, of Gwynn Oak, who is charged with the Saturday night murder of Carlos Adolfo Santay-Carrillo, 19.

“He has no experience in the criminal justice system. I think there are some issues as to his confession and whether there is any evidence to support his statement.”

Thompson was denied bail Friday and held at the Baltimore County Detention Center.

Investigators said they were led to him through a tip after the case was given widespread media coverage.

Santay-Carrillo was killed at 6 p.m. in a gas station in the 5200 block of Baltimore National Pike as he was making preparations to take his pregnant wife to the hospital to give birth.

In front of several customers pumping gas, the robber grabbed Santay-Carrillo around the chest and demanded money. Santay-Carrillo pulled away, and the suspect stabbed him multiple times, police said.

U.S. Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-District 7, arrived at the scene moments after the stabbing and held the dying man’s head in his last minutes of life.

Following the crime, the robber ran from the scene, but as he ran, his picture was recorded by a nearby business’ surveillance camera.

Friends of Santay-Carrillo’s widow, Claudia Sales, 23, held a news conference Monday to ask for help finding his killer.

After the news conference, a concerned citizen said a man known as Danny might be responsible, police said. Efforts to identify Danny led police to Thompson, who matched the physical description of the man in the video.

Meade said her client is enrolled at Milford Mill Academy’s night school and lives with his mother and grandmother.

“The charges are extremely serious,” Mead said. “It’s a very tragic case. He’s not a violent, aggressive young man.”

lbroadwater@baltimoreexaminer.com

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