ACTON, MASS. (WHDH) - Police are investigating an apparent murder-suicide that took place Thursday in Acton, according to the Middlesex District Attorney’s office.
Shortly after 4 p.m., Acton police responded to a call for an apparent abduction of a 16-year-old girl by her stepfather, Juliano Santana, 49, the DA’s office said. Police contacted Santana’s probation officer, who was able to find him using a GPS monitoring device that had been placed on him due to a pending case, according to the office.
Acton police went to a parking lot on Great Road, which was outside the 16-year-old girl’s home, the DA said. There, officers found Santana and his stepdaughter dead from apparent gunshot wounds in Santana’s car, according to the DA’s office.
Investigators determined that Santana abducted his stepdaughter as she was walking on Great Road after school before shooting her and then himself, the DA said.
In 2021, Santana’s stepdaughter reported that he had sexually assaulted her on multiple occasions, according to the DA. Santa was arrested and charged in Malden with six counts of aggravated rape of a child, the office said. Court paperwork reveals Santana was out on $30,000 bail and had an active restraining order in place to keep him away from the teen.
The trial date was scheduled for July 29 of this year.
A ball of police crime tape was spotted at the entrance of the Acton apartment complex where the two were found.
“Everyone failed that little girl and that family. Everyone. Everyone who was involved. I don’t know how the system works, but in my book, the system failed,” said neighbor Cristina Morales.
Peter Light, the superintendent of Acton-Boxboro Regional School District, released a statement regarding the teen’s death.
“We are heartbroken to have learned that one of our high school students died… Our thoughts are focused on the student, their family, friends, and our staff.”
There will be counselors and mental health specialists throughout the teenager’s school district in the coming days, the district said.
Massachusetts State Police and the Middlesex District Attorney’s office are investigating the incident.
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