A New Jersey state trooper who once served on the governor’s security detail is accused of fatally shooting his ex-girlfriend and her new partner before committing suicide.
New Jersey state trooper guns down ex-girlfriend
Police in Franklin Township raced to a home in Pittstown around 12:20 p.m. last Saturday after receiving a report of an unconscious woman, according to the Hunterdon County Prosecutor’s Office.
Responding officers discovered 33-year-old veterinarian Lauren Semanchik and 29-year-old Tyler Webb dead from gunshot wounds.
Investigators immediately suspected Semanchik’s former boyfriend, New Jersey State Police Lt. Ricardo Santos, 45.
Authorities launched a search, which ended when Santos was found dead in his white 2008 Mercedes in Piscataway. Officials say he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
A semiautomatic handgun believed to have been used in the killings was found next to him.
Detectives revealed that Franklin Township police had responded to a 911 call near Semanchik’s home the night before.
The caller reported hearing “audible gunshots and screaming,” but officers were unable to locate the source of the disturbance.
Court documents and investigative findings show that Semanchik had taken significant measures to protect herself in the months leading up to her death, including installing surveillance cameras in her car after reporting that Santos was following her.
Video from her vehicle showed her leaving her Long Valley veterinary office at 5:25 p.m. Friday, with Santos’ Mercedes trailing her all the way to her residence.
She got home just before 6 p.m., and minutes after, footage captured an individual emerging from the wooded area next to her driveway.
Roughly 30 minutes after she got home, Webb’s car pulled into the driveway and parked beside hers.
Semanchik’s father made the grim discovery of the couple’s bodies on Saturday.
Her family told CBS News it appeared that she had been trying to flee when she was killed.
“She was shot in the back,” said her sister, Deanna. “She gave so much of her life to other people and she deserved so much better.”
New Jersey state trooper stalked ex-girlfriend for months
Loved ones say the violence followed months of disturbing behavior after Semanchik ended the brief three-month relationship with Santos in September 2024.
“She tried to block him many times and he continued to call her from restricted numbers. He showed up at her work, that’s where the car was keyed,” Deanna said.
“He put recording devices in her home, water in her gas tank. He harassed her left and right.”
Her mother, Jeannine Semanchik, said her daughter repeatedly sought help from law enforcement.
“A lot of agencies failed her. She tried to get restraining orders. Nobody called her back,” she said.
Santos had previously worked as a supervisor on Gov. Phil Murphy’s protection team.
In a statement to CBS News, a spokesperson for the governor’s office said, “We are shocked and devastated by this horrific tragedy. Due to the law enforcement investigation currently underway, we will refrain from further comment at this time.”
Man shoots girlfriend’s ex-husband
Meanwhile, in Kentucky, police have arrested a man accused of shooting his girlfriend’s former husband during an encounter at a Louisville restaurant.
Authorities say 28-year-old Carlos Garcia-Romero faces several felony charges, including two counts of second-degree assault, one count of first-degree wanton endangerment, discharging a firearm across a public road, carrying a concealed weapon unlawfully, and first-degree fleeing or evading police.
The Louisville Metro Police Department said officers responded Sunday evening to a shooting in the 5200 block of New Cut Road.
First responders found a man suffering from a gunshot wound to his left leg. The victim was transported to the University of Louisville Hospital for treatment.
According to police, the victim identified Garcia-Romero, his ex-wife’s boyfriend, as the shooter.
The two reportedly “coincidentally” encountered each other at the restaurant before the gunfire broke out.
Investigators confirmed that Garcia-Romero’s girlfriend and the victim share a child.
During questioning, Garcia-Romero allegedly admitted to seeing the victim and pointing a firearm at him “to scare him,” claiming he had no intention of firing. He told officers the gun discharged accidentally.
Police say Garcia-Romero then disposed of the weapon by tossing it into a dumpster at a nearby gas station.
He is currently being held in the Louisville Metro Department of Corrections on $50,000 bond, with an arraignment scheduled for Aug. 12.
