Police: Man sent goodbye texts before shooting estranged wife, friend

MILLCREEK — A newly unsealed search warrant provides clues about a possible motive in the case of a man accused of brutally torturing and shooting his estranged wife and her friend last month.

Valentin Dulla Santarromana was upset about his pending divorce and blamed his estranged wife's friend for leaving him.

"I can't bear to have this family apart," Santarromana wrote in a text message to his brother hours before allegedly kidnapping and shooting his estranged wife, Jenny Andrus, 42, and her friend Jai Hogue, 42, multiple times.

Santarromana, 37, was charged earlier this month with 31 felonies, including two counts of attempted murder, aggravated kidnapping, aggravated sexual assault and numerous counts of discharging a firearm.

He is accused of shooting Andrus five times on Aug. 22 inside the house they once shared, 3313 S. Scott Court, including one shot to her head that resulted in the loss of an eye. He is also charged with shooting Hogue 11 times resulting in a severed spinal cord. Andrus has made a miraculous recovery and has been released from the hospital. Hogue, however, remained hospitalized Wednesday in critical condition.

Before she was rescued by a Unified Police Department SWAT team, Andrus was held hostage for several hours. When officers entered the house, they could smell natural gas and later discovered Santarromana had cut a gas line.

In the weeks leading up to the shootings, Santarromana was taken to a local hospital for making suicidal threats. A new search warrant unsealed Wednesday in 3rd District Court additionally supports the notion that Santarromana wanted to kill both himself and Andrus.

Just after 3 a.m. on Aug. 22, just hours before Andrus and Hogue arrived at the house not knowing Santarromana was there, he sent a lengthy text message to his brother. The text was addressed to his children, according to the search warrant affidavit.

"Forgive me you are my everything," he stated. "Pls take care of your sister watch over them and remember I LOVE YOU … I have a life insurance from work so does your mom. I just wish that me and your mom can see you grow in to wonderful women and be grandparent. I'm sorry if I take it from you … but my love for your mom is so strong and true that I can't bear to see your mom with anyone else!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Santarromana ended the message by texting, "There are a good chance I'm going to end up in HELL but no hell can hold me I will watch over then in spirit."

During his message, Santarromana also blamed Hogue for Andrus leaving.

"Jai broke this family apart cheated and took my wife you and every I hold dear in my life!" he texted, according to the affidavit. "I'm not going to let it happen anymore it hurt me to see your mom with someone else!!I never cheated never cheated because your mom is dear to me and I cant bear to see it happen anymore."

While she was being held hostage inside the house, Santarromana forced Andrus to call her mother and allow him to speak with their children, the warrant states. She also called her sister and left a voice message "telling her to take care of her children if anything happened to her."

Andrus' attorney could not be reached for comment Wednesday. Santarromana's next court hearing is scheduled for Oct. 2.

Related Story

2 women remain hospitalized day after Millcreek shootings

Two women remained hospitalized Sunday — one in extremely critical condition and another in serious condition — after police say the husband of one of the victims shot them during an apparent hostage situation.

Related topics