Name: Sarasota family looking for justice for murdered son
Uploaded: 2025-11-07T08:24:10.494Z
Duration: 2 min 40 s
Description: A Sarasota family is looking for justice for their murdered 17-year-old son and brother. A year after his life was cut short, the family learned the homicide charge against the man accused of the crime was dropped.

A Sarasota family is looking for justice for their murdered 17-year-old son and brother. A year after his life was cut short, the family learned the homicide charge against the man accused of the crime was dropped.

Sarasota

The family of 17-year-old Eric Santana in Sarasota, Florida, is searching for justice after homicide charges were dropped against Jonathan Vivar, the man previously accused of killing Santana during a party at Twin Lakes Park. Despite the dropped homicide charge, Vivar still faces other charges, including aggravated battery, weapons offenses, and destruction of evidence, while another individual, Carlos Romero Tomas, faces additional charges related to the incident.

Eric Santana's family expressed disappointment and frustration over the lack of information from the state attorney's office regarding the decision to drop the homicide charge, which was reportedly based on self-defense. The family continues to advocate for justice and accountability, while both the state attorney's office and the Sarasota Sheriff's office have declined to comment publicly on the case.

Sarasota family looking for justice for murdered son

So the family's looking for justice now. Justice for their murdered 17-year-old son and brother. A year after his life was cut short, the family learned the homicide charge against the man accused of the crime was dropped. The family wants more information, hasn't gotten yet from the state attorney's office. The mother and sister, though, spoke with FOX 13's Danielle Zukoski, who joins us live in our newsroom. Danielle, I know it's a complicated story. It's full of emotion here, too. What'd you find out? Well, what I know is that Eric Santana was just 17 when he was killed. He was at a party last November at Twin Lakes Park when a fight broke out. Someone fired a gun, taking his life. His family wants him to be remembered for more than what happened to him. He was an amazing person. You would always see him laughing. You would always see him smiling. That was Eric Santana's older sister, Giselle. She's still reeling from the news that the charges were dropped against the man accused of killing her brother last year. It's just so disappointing that the person that killed my brother, that murdered my brother, he just is free roaming the streets like he didn't do nothing. Initially, three people were charged in the incident. Now, the homicide charged against Jonathan Vivar has been dropped. He destroyed a family, and it's just so disappointing that we couldn't get justice, and that's why I'm here, to get justice towards my brother. She said that she wants the person that murdered her son to pay, and she just wants justice for taking her son's life away. He still faces charges of aggravated battery, weapons charges, and destruction of evidence. Carlos Romero Tomas also faces one felony and two misdemeanor charges. He is not here now. We're the only ones that are here, and we are the only ones that can speak towards him and fight for his justice, and we want justice served. She says there was a fight at a party, and her brother was caught in the crossfire. And they just started shooting, and, you know, I just went towards my brother, the shot. But my brother was unarmed. Giselle says she learned the charges were dropped from a Sarasota Sheriff's deputy. The reason, they said, it was self-defense. Call made us feel like that call they made to us, that when he passed away. That's, it just, I can't describe the feeling for the, it was just pain. The state's attorney's office did not immediately respond to our request for comment on this story. Officials did meet with the family after Vivar was released from custody. The Sarasota Sheriff's office declined to comment. Danielle Zolkowski, FOX 13 News.

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