SAN ANTONIO – Almost 30 calls were made to 911 the night Dr. Tania Rendon-Santiago, 35, was killed in a murder-suicide.
Rendon-Santiago was shot on March 12 at the 1800 Broadway apartments near the Pearl. She dedicated her life to helping others, specifically working with veterans.
Domestic violence is believed to have led to her murder.
The San Antonio Police Department released the 911 calls made the night of her murder. While the calls are graphic and may be difficult to listen to, KSAT 12 is sharing the calls as part of its "One Voice, 1,000 Stories" series on domestic violence.
The decision to release the 911 calls was not made lightly. KSAT spent a long time deciding whether or not to air the calls, soliciting opinions throughout the newsroom and from domestic violence experts in San Antonio.
As a group, it was decided the calls are important for the public to hear.
On March 12, San Antonio police said that, after 36-year-old Scott Caruso shot and killed Tania Rendon-Santiago, he killed himself.
The family confirmed the two were in an eight-year relationship and said that, at some points, Caruso seemed unstable.
Battered Women and Children's Shelter CEO Marta Pelaez works with domestic violence survivors every day. Even she was stunned by the chilling 911 calls.
Still, she said it is vital that people hear the calls because they show the reality of what happens all too often in the San Antonio community.
"The value is in preventing the next murder. It is a real person and that person does not become real until you hear some of the things that happened. A real person screams. A real person doesn't scream anymore," Pelaez said.
She praised the 29 people who called 911, hoping to save Tania's life, and begs others in the community to follow suit.
"If you hear something, do not judge the quality or the meaning of the screams. Just make the phone call, and let somebody else determine what it was," Pelaez said.
For people who might be afraid to be identified when they call police during a scary situation, Pelaez and police said the same thing: People can make reports anonymously.
In these 911 calls, the operator asks the caller, "Do you want to give your name? Do you want to give your phone number? Do you want police ro contact you?" The caller is allowed to answer no to any of these questions.
What's important is that the person makes that potentially lifesaving call and gives all the information they can about what they are seeing and hearing.
Anyone who is experiencing abuse or knows someone who is experiencing abuse can find local resources for victims of violent crimes and domestic violence victims' rights.