On June 4, a San Jose man was senselessly shot and killed in front of his wife and children, and now San Jose police believe they have identified the suspect.
The victim was 33-year-old Marco Antonio Santos, a husband and father of four kids, the youngest 6 years old and the oldest 15.
On Tuesday, Santos’ family members came from as far away as Mexico and joined police in asking for the public’s help to find the man they believe is responsible.
San Jose police have identified the suspect as 27-year-old San Jose resident Uatesoni Joseph Paasi and there is currently a warrant out for his arrest.
Paasi is believed to have shot Santos several times at a South San Jose apartment complex after a dispute broke out between the two.
Assistant Police Chief Paul Joseph said it is unclear why the shooting happened or whether Paasi and Santos knew each other.
“There was some sort of dialogue between the two, but we don’t know the nature of any disputes and there’s no known conflict between them before this event,” Joseph said. “It just seems to be a very spontaneous, senseless killing.”
Joseph was joined by Santos’ brother, wife, mother and several other family members. A dry eye was hard to find outside of the San Jose police building where the news conference took place, as family members took turns comforting each other.
“He was a good husband and a best friend,” Santos’ wife of 16 years Sandra Santos said in Spanish. “He always provided for our two sons and two daughters.”
“Please, please help us in finding the person responsible. It breaks my heart that he died the way that he did in front of his family.”
Mother of Marco Antonio Santos
His mother, who did not provide her name, said he was a dedicated family man who never had problems with anyone.
“Please, please help us in finding the person responsible,” Santos’ mother said in Spanish. “It breaks my heart that he died the way that he did in front of his family.”
Police believe Paasi is the man responsible because of several witnesses, but police spokesman Sgt. Christian Camarillo said they could not release any other evidence since the investigation is ongoing.
Joseph said police quickly identified Paasi as the primary suspect but have not been able to find him “despite all our efforts.”
While police are urging the public to help locate Paasi, they said to avoid approaching him because he is a dangerous man who may be armed and a threat to society.
Joseph said it is possible Paasi is not in the Bay Area since has ties to San Diego and Hawaii. Still, he said police are determined to bring him to justice.
“We will bring him back to San Jose, no matter where he’s found, will extradite him anywhere in the country,” Joseph said. “If he’s out of the country, we’ll work with the FBI to have it brought back to the United States.”
Santos’ death marked San Jose’s 19th homicide of 2021. Since then, the city has seen nine more, bringing the total to 28 killings as of Tuesday.
Those with information about the case are asked to contact Detective Sergeant Lewis #3161 or Detective Meeker #3272 of the San Jose Police Department’s Homicide unit at 408-277-5283.
People can also submit tips anonymously by calling the tip line at 408-947-STOP or to Silicon Valley Crime Stoppers. Police said if information submitted leads to an arrest, individuals are eligible for a cash reward.