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Murder of Antonio Santiago

SOLVED2013Brunswick, Georgia, United States3 SOURCESUPDATED JUL 2026
Illustrative

On March 21, 2013, one-year-old Antonio Santiago was shot and killed in Brunswick, Georgia, during an attempted robbery. Antonio was in a stroller with his mother, Sherry West, as they returned home from the post office when they were confronted by two youths, 15-year-old Dominique Lang and 17-year-old De'Marquise Elkins. Elkins pointed a .22-caliber handgun at West and demanded money. When she said she had none, he fired, wounding West, then shot and killed Antonio. Bystanders and rescue workers attempted to help, but Antonio was pronounced dead at the scene.

Antonio was born on February 7, 2012, to Louis Santiago and Sherry West. He was the second son West lost to violence; her other son had been stabbed to death in New Jersey in 2008. Elkins had previously shot and wounded a pastor, Wilfredo Calix-Flores, during an attempted robbery on March 11, 2013, at the pastor's church in Brunswick.

Following an anonymous tip, Brunswick police located Lang on March 22, 2013; he cooperated and directed investigators to Elkins. West identified Elkins from a photo lineup on March 23. On March 25, Elkins's mother, Karimah Elkins, and his aunt, Katrina Elkins, led investigators to the location where the murder weapon had been discarded. A grand jury indicted Elkins on 11 counts, including malice murder, and Lang on seven counts, including felony murder. Karimah Elkins was indicted on charges of making false statements and evidence tampering, her sister Katrina Elkins on making false statements, and Elkins's sister Sabrina Elkins on evidence tampering.

De'Marquise Elkins and Karimah Elkins were tried together in Marietta, Georgia, in August 2013, with the trial relocated due to local publicity. The defense argued that Antonio's parents may have been involved and questioned the reliability of West's identification, while prosecutors presented testimony from West and Lang describing the shooting. On August 30, 2013, a jury convicted Elkins on all 11 counts, including malice murder and felony murder, as well as charges relating to the earlier assault on Calix-Flores. Karimah Elkins was convicted of tampering with evidence but acquitted of making false statements. Elkins, ineligible for the death penalty due to his age, was sentenced to life without parole plus 125 years. Karimah Elkins received 10 years in prison.

Lang pleaded guilty to attempted armed robbery and was sentenced to two years' incarceration (with credit for time served) plus eight years of probation. Sabrina Elkins pleaded guilty to evidence tampering and was sentenced to six months in a work camp and five years' probation. Katrina Elkins pleaded guilty to making a false statement and was sentenced to five years in prison.

Elkins appealed to the Supreme Court of Georgia, arguing constitutional violations and ineffective counsel. In 2019, the court upheld his convictions but found the trial court had erred in not holding a hearing on his ineffective-assistance claim regarding sentencing, ordering a review of whether his life-without-parole sentence was properly imposed. The case drew national and international media attention due to the victim's age.

Key facts

Victims
Antonio Santiago, Wilfredo Calix-Flores, Sherry West
Date
2013
Location
Brunswick, Georgia, United States
Case status
solved

Case timeline

  1. 2012-02-07

    Antonio Angel Santiago is born to Louis Santiago and Sherry West.

  2. 2013-03

    De'Marquise Elkins and two accomplices attempt to rob and shoot Reverend Wilfredo Calix-Flores at his church in Brunswick, Georgia.

  3. 2013-03-21

    Antonio Santiago is shot and killed during an attempted robbery of his mother, Sherry West, in Brunswick, Georgia; West is also shot and wounded.

  4. 2013-03-22

    Police locate and question Dominique Lang, who cooperates and implicates De'Marquise Elkins.

  5. 2013-03-23

    Sherry West identifies Elkins from a lineup of mugshots.

  6. 2013-03-25

    Karimah Elkins and Katrina Elkins lead investigators to the location where the murder weapon was discarded.

  7. 2013-03-27

    A grand jury indicts Elkins on 11 counts and Lang on seven counts; relatives of Elkins are indicted on related charges.

  8. 2013-08-30

    Elkins is convicted on all 11 counts, including malice murder; Karimah Elkins is convicted of evidence tampering.

  9. 2019

    The Georgia Supreme Court orders the trial court to review whether Elkins was properly sentenced to life without parole.

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People

  • Antonio Santiago

    VICTIM

    One-year-old victim shot and killed during an attempted robbery on March 21, 2013.

  • Wilfredo Calix-Flores

    VICTIM

    Pastor shot and wounded by Elkins and accomplices during an attempted robbery on March 11, 2013.

  • Dominique Lang

    CONVICTED

    Pleaded guilty to attempted armed robbery; sentenced to two years' incarceration and eight years' probation.

  • De'Marquise Elkins

    CONVICTED

    Convicted in August 2013 of malice murder, felony murder, and related charges; sentenced to life without parole plus 125 years.

  • Karimah Elkins

    CONVICTED

    De'Marquise Elkins's mother; convicted of tampering with evidence and acquitted of making false statements; sentenced to 10 years in prison.

  • Katrina Elkins

    CONVICTED

    De'Marquise Elkins's aunt; pleaded guilty to making a false statement to police and sentenced to five years in prison.

  • Sherry West

    VICTIM

    Antonio's mother, shot and wounded during the same attempted robbery.

  • Sabrina Elkins

    CONVICTED

    De'Marquise Elkins's sister; pleaded guilty to evidence tampering and sentenced to six months in a work camp and five years' probation.

Roles reflect public records and court outcomes at the time of writing — supporting citations are on file under Sources.

Places

Brunswick, Georgia, United States

31.1495, -81.4915

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Common questions

What happened to the victim?
One-year-old Antonio Santiago was shot and killed during an attempted robbery in Brunswick, Georgia, on March 21, 2013. De'Marquise Elkins was convicted of murder and sentenced to life without parole; accomplice Dominique Lang pleaded guilty to attempted armed robbery.
Where did the murder happen?
Brunswick, Georgia, United States.
Who was convicted?
Dominique Lang (Pleaded guilty to attempted armed robbery; sentenced to two years' incarceration and eight years' probation.), De'Marquise Elkins (Convicted in August 2013 of malice murder, felony murder, and related charges; sentenced to life without parole plus 125 years.), Karimah Elkins (De'Marquise Elkins's mother; convicted of tampering with evidence and acquitted of making false statements; sentenced to 10 years in prison.), Katrina Elkins (De'Marquise Elkins's aunt; pleaded guilty to making a false statement to police and sentenced to five years in prison.), and Sabrina Elkins (De'Marquise Elkins's sister; pleaded guilty to evidence tampering and sentenced to six months in a work camp and five years' probation.).
What is the current status of the case?
Status: solved.
More cases in Georgia

Sources

  1. ENCYCLOPEDICMurder of Antonio SantiagoWikipedia · 2026-07-10
  2. PRESSContemporaneous coverage — CBS NewsCBS News · 2026-07-10
  3. PRESSContemporaneous coverage — BBC NewsBBC News · 2026-07-10

Record history

First published
JUL 10, 2026