Lehigh Acres woman accused of calling LCSO, threatening to kill puppies

A Lehigh Acres woman was arrested on Saturday after the Lee County Sheriff’s Office says she called and threatened to kill puppies, then later tried to escape custody.

According to LCSO, Angel Santiago, 32, was arrested on Saturday morning after making a call to the sheriff’s office in which she sounded “extremely confused” and made vague threats about killing her puppies. The LCSO arrest report refers to Santiago as someone who “habitually calls and has an extensive history with the Lee County Sheriff’s Office.”

When deputies arrived for a wellness check, they say Santiago refused to come out of her house on Leroy Street and refused to acknowledge the presence of law enforcement. At this point, she was texting LCSO’s administrative line to claim that “Santiago” was on the run and that she was not at the residence. She then claimed to be someone named “Cassandra” who required a wheelchair and therefore could not come to the door. She also claimed to be at an address different than the one where deputies found her.

Deputies contacted Santiago’s boyfriend and confirmed through him that the number calling and texting LCSO did, in fact, belong to Santiago. When LCSO explained the concern for the welfare of Santiago’s animals to her boyfriend, he contacted her and asked her to speak to the deputies. Santiago then exited the house a short time later with four newborn mixed-breed puppies and a bottle of milk

LCSO says Santiago began “blatantly mishandling and being rough with” the puppies in front of the deputies. Based on information she gave deputies on the state of the puppies and their mother, the puppies should not have been fed by hand or separated from their mother, as Santiago had done.

Santiago was warned that if she continued to misuse 911, she would face charges. Animal control responded to the scene and determined that for the safety of the animals, they needed to be removed from the home. Santiago became upset at this and kicked the tin of puppies away from her on the concrete. She entered the home while a deputy was assisting with the puppies and let another two other adult dogs out of their kennels, stomping her feet, flailing her arms, and yelling “Go! Go!” in an attempt to scare the dogs and make them become aggressive towards the deputies.

The report says the dogs ran out of the door and, agitated, began to fight each other. While deputies tried to separate and calm the dogs, Santiago took the puppies’ mother into the residence with her and locked the deputies out, then called 911 and began screaming over the phone. She eventually opened the front door and was convinced to calm down before being taken into custody and helping get the mother dog into the custody of animal control.

While at the LCSO substation in Lehigh Acres, Santiago asked to be taken to the bathroom. A deputy escorted her to the bathroom where, as she left, she ran to the front door of the substation, pushed open the front door and attempted to run away. Santiago was quickly escorted back to the holding room, where she continued to yell profanities and make inappropriate remarks.

Santiago was transported to the Lee County Jail as disorderly. She faces charges of misusing 911, attempting to escape and resisting officers without violence.