Remembering Our Dead

Tasha Santiago

Tasha was shot dead while standing outside a hotel making a call to the police to report the theft of her coat. Her killers were identified as Jeffrey Todd Hammons and Todd Alan.

Two Marine corporals at Camp Pendleton were arrested Wednesday on suspicion of murder in the death of a [trans sex worker] in December in what Oceanside police believe may have been a sexual encounter gone awry.

Jeffrey Todd Hammons, 24, and Todd Alan Thornton, 25, were held in County Jail in Vista in connection with the shooting death of [deadname] Santiago, 25, who was among five [trans women] slain in San Diego County last year.

Oceanside police spokesman Bob George said Wednesday that police are investigating the theory that the two Marines were seeking sex from Santiago and “the (murder) motive possibly was dissatisfied customers.”

If so, “it’s the worst motive I’ve ever seen for a homicide,” George said.

However, Oceanside police don’t believe the Marines are linked to the four other killings of [trans women] that took place in San Diego last year. None of those cases has been solved, a San Diego police spokesman said Wednesday.

Santiago, also known as [deadname] Santana and Tasha, was killed by a handgun late Dec. 10 in the driveway of the Wally Johnson Motel on North Hill Street.

Earlier that day, Santiago had contacted police to report that two men had stolen a jacket or coat from [her]. Later that night, just before [she] was shot, [she] telephoned police from outside the motel to report seeing his assailants driving by.

According to George, a police dispatcher put Santiago on hold to check [her] case. “[She] was on hold less than a minute, and, when we came back on, the call was discontinued,” George said.

Another caller who heard shots summoned police to the scene, where Santiago lay dead in the driveway. Witnesses led authorities to the car allegedly driven by the two Marines. The next day, police talked to Hammons and Thornton, and confiscated a handgun reportedly found in the suspects’ car.

George said it took months to gather enough evidence for authorities to obtain an arrest warrant. Police coordinated with the Naval Investigative Service in arresting the Marines on base and turning them over to civilian authorities.

https://www.newspapers.com/article/north-county-blade-citizen-murder-of-tra/73861788/

https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-05-23-me-3007-story.html

https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-06-22-me-680-story.html

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/10_JeZ7LEIRhvewTCoL5mVkH6MQJzf7fSXl4-P6QJ0v0/edit#gid=0

Report added: 21 Sep 2025

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