Man, 79, Wanted in 1985 Double Murder in Miami, Found in Tampa – NBC 6 South Florida

Nearly 37 years after two men were gunned down at a Miami home, authorities said the man who they believe pulled the trigger has been captured.

Lazaro Santana, now 79, faces two counts of first-degree murder in the Aug. 21, 1985 killing of Carlos Romero and Pedro Otero, according to an arrest warrant.

Miami-Dade Corrections

Santana has been a wanted man since an arrest warrant was issued for him in September 1985 in connection with the killings. His arrest nearly didn’t happen.

Officials said Santana was taken into custody in the Tampa area on March 12, after police received a call about a disoriented man.

When officers arrived they found Santana, who had no identification on him.

Officers ran his fingerprints and the 1985 warrant came up in their system, officials said.

Santana was held at the Hillsborough County jail until he was transferred to the Miami-Dade jail on Thursday.

He was being held without bond, and attorney information wasn’t available.

According to the original 1985 arrest warrant, Romero and Otero had been sitting at a kitchen table at a home at 2330 Northwest 9th Street in Miami’s Little Havana neighborhood when Santana barged in, said something to them then shot both of them in the chest.

Otero’s sister was standing in the kitchen and witnessed the double murder, the warrant said.

According to Otero’s sister and another witness, the killings were the result of a dispute between Santana and Romero.

The warrant said Santana and Romero had committed a robbery and Santana refused to split the proceeds from the robbery with Romero.

Romero had been taking personal items from Santana in response, and that’s what led to the shooting, the warrant said.