Albuquerque Journal (NM)
August 29, 2006
Man Indicted In Unsolved Homicides
Fraud Investigation Leads To Break in Year-Old Case
Author: CAROLYN CARLSON Journal Staff Writer
A Southwest Mesa man faces two counts of first-degree murder in connection to the
August 2005 slayings of a Paradise Hills couple.
On Friday, a Bernalillo County grand jury indicted Ronald Santiago, 40, in the deaths of
John G. and Bernadette Ohlemacher, both 46.
The couple was found shot to death in the early morning of Aug. 2, 2005, at their home
on Dover NW in Paradise Hills.
The double homicide had stumped police for nearly a year. But on June 12, Santiago
approached the Secret Service to say he had forged checks during a recent refinancing
deal.
Santiago, a loan processor with Countrywide Home Loans, told agents he promised an
Albuquerque couple (not the Ohlemachers) he could get their home refinanced, according
to court documents.
When the loan wasn't approved, he forged two commercial checks, one for $200,647 to
the title company and another for $43,352 to the couple, and issued the money for the
loan, court documents state. He said that, when the bank contacted him and told him the
checks didn't clear, he felt guilty and decided to turn himself in, the criminal complaint
said.
Santiago faces one count of forgery in this fraud incident.
Connections between Santiago and the Ohlemachers began to emerge as Secret Service
agents worked the fraud case. One of Santiago's supervisors told investigators that
Santiago had submitted a loan application for the Ohlemachers a few weeks before the
slayings, according to court documents.
Agents searched Santiago's home, where they found shell casings that came from the
same gun that killed the West Side couple, the documents say.
Early in the morning of Aug. 2, 2005, police were called to the Ohlemachers' house by
the couple's 20-year-old daughter, who said she had hidden in a closet when she heard the
shootings, according to court documents.
The daughter said she woke up that morning to hear her dad yell, "What are you doing";
her mom scream; then six to seven gunshots.
She told police her parents had tried to sell the home months before their deaths, were
unsuccessful, took it off the market and decided to refinance it.
She told police her parents were having problems receiving $40,000 from the refinancing.
Two insufficient-funds notices were found at the crime scene.
The daughter told investigators her parents expected the money to be in their bank
account the day of the slayings.
Santiago also worked for Sandia Heights Security, where he carried a 45-caliber
handgun. In addition, Santiago was certified to use a 9 mm Ruger, the same gun used in
the double homicide, according to court documents. He also owns a blue Jeep Cherokee
that matched the description of a vehicle a neighbor saw in the Ohlemachers' driveway a
few days before their deaths.
Co-workers of Santiago's said they were shocked when they heard of his possible
involvement in the double homicide.
Santiago was indicted on nine counts — two counts of willful and deliberate first-degree
murder, aggravated burglary with a deadly weapon, two counts of forgery by falsely
making or altering checks, two counts of tampering with evidence and two additional
counts of forgery by issuing or transferring a forged check.
If convicted on all charges, Santiago faces two life sentences or death for the murder
charges, plus 30 years in prison on other charges.
A trial date has not been set.
Santiago is being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center on a total of $6.2 million
cashonly bonds and an additional $3 million cash or surety bond.
Copyright (c) 2006 Albuquerque Journal