Man Burglarizes Holmdel Home With Owners Inside, Police Report

HOLMDEL, NJ - A drunk man kicked down the door to a Holmdel home early Tuesday morning, punched a wall, smashed items in the kitchen and urinated on the floor — all while the terrified homeowners ran and hid in the back of the house, police said.

At approximately 1:11 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 27 the Holmdel police department received a call from a Wildhedge Lane homeowner that someone was banging on the door to their residence. While en route, the officers received updated information that a male subject had kicked in their front door, at which time the home's occupants fled to the rear of the house.

When Patrolman John Maguire got there, he approached the residence and was confronted by the man, later identified as David Santiago, 27, of Lakewood. Santiago approached the officers with a long object in his hands. Ptl. Maguire ordered Santiago to drop the object and get down on the ground, and he complied.

Santiago was in the area for a party, when he became intoxicated and was asked to leave, police said. He left that home and broke into the home on Wildhedge Lane, where he kicked in the door and damaged property while inside as well, police said. Santiago broke a chair in the home, punched a wall and urinated on the floor. He also went into the kitchen and smashed a glass bowl and a coffee pot, police said. While in the home, Santiago stole a cellular phone, which was recovered from him and turned back over to the owner.

Santiago was arrested at the scene by Maguire and transported to Holmdel Township police headquarters to be processed. While he was being kept in one of the holding cells, Santiago became disorderly in the cell and damaged the toilet inside.

He was charged with burglary, criminal trespass, criminal mischief, theft, harassment and disorderly conduct. Santiago is a resident of Tamara Court in Lakewood. Bail was set at $10,000 with no 10% option and he was transported to the Monmouth County Correctional Institute in lieu of bail payment.