This one absolutely breaks our hearts…
A special forces soldier has been accused of killing his pregnant wife and hurting his unborn child.
Sergeant 1st Class Joseph Santiago was arrested and charged with the murder of his wife Meghan Santiago and the injury of his unborn baby following an incident at the Fort Campbell military facility in Kentucky on September 27, according to a press release from the fort’s Public Affairs Office. The expectant mother was placed on life support but was sadly taken off the machine just less than a week after the horrifying ordeal, WTSP reported. She was 32-weeks pregnant at the time of her death.
Thankfully, her baby girl somehow survived the incident and is now reportedly breathing on her own. It is still unclear how Meghan was fatally wounded, why Joseph allegedly killed her, or even what kind of injuries her newborn sustained.
Related: Woman In Coma With Major Burns After Trying To Save Dog From Yellowstone Hot Springs
However, the military base did issue a statement following the tragedy. On Thursday, Colonel Brent Lindeman, commander of 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) offered his condolences to Meghan’s loved ones, saying:
“Meghan’s death is a tragedy. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family and friends. This tragic event has shaken our entire unit. We take all allegations of domestic violence seriously, and we will provide every resource to ensure a thorough investigation.”
Family members told WTSP that Meghan is also leaving behind two other young children, who are 7 years old and 4 years old. Her cousin Kristen Varcak expressed to the outlet that the momma always protected her kiddos as much as possible and is “definitely their guardian angel now.” She also added:
“Meghan was a good mom, ever since the time she found out she was pregnant, she was over the moon to be a mom.”
Joseph reportedly was taken into custody on September 28 and is currently being held at the Grayson County Jail pending an investigation by the US Army Criminal Investigation Division.
The Public Affairs Director at Fort Campbell, Brendalyn Player, told Clarksville Now the reason they have not released more information yet is so they can “protect the integrity of the ongoing investigation.”
We’ll have to wait and see if more details will be revealed as authorities continue working on the case. In the meantime, though, we are sending so much love to Meghan’s family — especially her three children — during this difficult time. We cannot imagine what they must be going through, and we are keeping them in our thoughts.
If you or someone you know is experiencing a domestic violence situation, please reach out to the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233.
[Image via Meghan Santiago/Facebook, Grayson County Detention Center]