Investigators searching for a motive in the killing of four homeless men in Chinatown Saturday are scouring the killer’s former Belmont neighborhood for clues to what set him off, authorities said.
Randy Santos, 24, accused of bludgeoning the sleeping victims to death using a piece of heavy construction metal, lived in a vacant, three-story home at 691 East 183rd St.
Described by neighbors as homeless, Santos often squatted inside the dilapidated property, which was previously the subject of disclosure proceedings, records show.
Santos is charged with multiple counts of murder and manslaughter.
Kevin Deutsch is a Staff Writer for Bronx Justice News covering the criminal justice system, drugs, and DNA use by law enforcement. An award-winning journalist, Deutsch is the author of the true crime books "Pill City" and "The Triangle." He has worked on staff at the Daily News, Miami Herald, Newsday, The Palm Beach Post, and The Riverdale Press. His work has also appeared in Newsweek, Columbia Journalism Review, The New York Times, The Village Voice, The Forward, The Independent, Huffington Post, Orlando Sentinel, and the New York Post, among other publications. His numerous television appearances include spots on CNN, MSNBC, and C-SPAN's BookTV. He has also been featured in The New Yorker. A Bronx resident, Deutsch hosts the true crime podcast "A Dark Turn" on the Authors on the Air Global Radio Network.
