Feltonville: Family Claims Police Ignored Threats

On a quiet Sunday morning, with nothing special about it aside from being Mother’s Day, the Philadelphia police received a call from North Philadelphia. A heated argument had taken place between neighbors and the police had been called to settle the dispute. Felix Santos, a grocery store owner, had been involved in an escalating argument over a parking spot that had begun to involve threats from his neighbors. The police were called and left in what ultimately culminated in a much more violent story.

“They said ‘Let them kill each other,” said Cristina Santos, wife of Felix Santos. Felix was attacked with a bat and knives by several assailants on May 9 after what family believes could have been easily avoided by police taking the initial report seriously.

Cristina, 38, says that her husband called the police several minutes after the initial threats of an attack, yet the officers left without making a report or interviewing anyone in efforts to calm the tension. Felix now remains in a coma.

Felix, 39, arrived in Philadelphia in 2000 from Santiago in the Dominican Republic and had since worked in a bodega to support his family. Over the years, Felix managed to acquire visas for his wife and their three children who had arrived in hopes of fulfilling their own American dream.

“That man got up at six in the morning and got back home ten o’clock at night from work. It’s important that people hear what’s happening to the workers,” complained Cristina.

According to his wife, Felix was violently attacked by several men at about 7 p.m. on Seventh and Butler streets in North Philadelphia after arguing with neighbor Blanca Hernandez, 42, over a parking space on the street.

That same Sunday as he came home, Blanca Hernandez was about to park in the same parking space.

Blanca Hernandez reported that though the parking spot was in fact in front of Felix’s house, Felix sent one of his sons to park the car in the spot and block her. Hernandez then questioned Felix as to why he blocked the spot from her and reported that Felix then proceeded to spit and throw a beer bottle at Hernandez’s niece, who was with her at the time.

“They began to argue at spit at each other,” said Cristina. He added that

Hernandez called several men to attack him, and Felix retired to his home and called police. Meanwhile, the men began hitting the car. Cristina said that when the police arrived, they did not interview anyone and never made a report of vandalism of the car even though the attackers live two houses down from hers.

Hernandez also corroborated the claim that the police did not file a report as her niece even attempted to talk to the police and was told to be quiet. “The police told us that they didn’t need to speak with us because we were the prime suspects,” said Hernandez.

According to a witness, who asked to remain anonymous and who lives on Butler Street, the attackers were present when police arrived and it was obvious that an altercation would happen.

“They (the attackers) were threatening Felix in front of the police officers. Their duty was to find the solution to the problem and avoid a fight. When the police left, they attacked him (Santos) at his own door,” said the witness, who also lives in the neighborhood.

After the police left, Andres Santo, Felix’s nephew, came home without knowing anything about the incident and was attacked by several people, reported Cristina. It was then that Felix came back outside in order to defend his nephew and was then attacked by the group of men.

Felix’s mother, Luz Cruz, said the police made no report upon the initial dispute. “They came for the first time and did nothing and Felix even told them there was a fire in the house so they’d get there faster,” Luz recalled.

Cristina, who has only been in the country for a few years, speaks little English and had difficulties communicating with the police. “The female police officer said that she didn’t speak Spanish, but when I went to the precinct I heard her speaking Spanish. When I confronted her about it she simply replied ‘I’m not the one who hurt you,’” said Cristina.

The police have already released information that there are two suspects in custody but would not release their names as the investigation is ongoing pending the arrest of a third unnamed suspect.

However, in the court order sent to Cristina, Jose Emmanuel Torres is listed as one of the detainees, while the other is a minor and therefore unnamed. Torres, 25, has had trouble with the law in the past. In 2008, he was convicted for having illicit contact with a minor. He was also convicted of harassment in 2005. It seems that both families had problems with each other in the past.

According to Cruz, on one occasion Torres had broken a window of Felix’s car, along with other accounts from the corner grocers’ say they had fought before.

“We need the authorities to give us more support, we are workers and it is an injustice that there is no form of safety or security for our workers,” said Victoriano De La Cruz, treasurer of the Dominican Business Association.

Felix remains in critical condition in a coma and is fighting for his life at Temple University Hospital. Although he’s on an artificial respirator, Felix has shown signs of improvement lately and has been able to blink and to swallow on his own.

Meanwhile, the Santos family has left their residence and two of the children now live with relatives in Massachusetts, while Cristina and Luz are living in the homes of friends and family waiting hopefully for any improvement in Felix’s condition.

Although police are holding two men in custody, a spokesman declined comment because the investigation was continuing.