Police searching for stabbing victim's boyfriend

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) - Police are still searching for the man who they believe is responsible for the death of Jessica Rojas , Springfield’s third murder victim of the year.

“It's just unreal, I just, it's unreal for me, a girl like that young, you know,” said Edwin Rojas, the father of the victim, as his face flinched while fighting back tears.

He’s a father who’s heartbroken and numb with grief after his oldest daughter, Jessica, was stabbed to death just hours after celebrating her 25th birthday, early Saturday morning.

“It happened Friday night, we were at the club and we had a great time. We had a good time and left the club early,” said Edwin, who joined Jessica, friends and family for a birthday celebration Friday night. “I told her, I was leaving early to go the house to my house. From there all [of] this happened, I went home and I got a phone call probably around 1:30 a.m., somewhere around there, and they just told me, ‘she's at the hospital,’ that was it,” said Edwin.

In the city's Brightwood Neighborhood was where police found Jessica, shortly after 1 a.m. Saturday morning inside 132 Washburn Street; a townhouse where she lived with her four children.

“I'm 26 myself and I have two of my own and to be honest with you, it's really sad, it's really sad, it's scary, it's traumatizing. I have little kids of my own, I don't know how would a guy even have the heart to do what he did,” said Mayra Rivera on Sunday morning. Rivera lives three streets over, on Clyde Street, and often walks by Washburn Street to get to the local convenience store.

Springfield police and State Police are now looking for 30-year-old Jose Santiago, who was dating Jessica and has been named in a murder warrant as Jessica's alleged killer. Jessica's father told 22News Santiago, who had been dating his daughter on and off for a year, had a history of being violent.

“I don't think, I know it was her boyfriend. I know it was her boyfriend.  He could be anywhere from here to Bridgeport, [CT] cause that's where he got family. He took a girl's life, he's an animal,” said Edwin.

Essi Sepulveda’s daughter was invited to Jessica’s 25th birthday party. Sepulveda and her husband stopped by the makeshift memorial outside of Jessica’s house, Sunday morning. “When they get him he's going to be gone for a long time, I wish they would hurry up and get him. You know and pay for what he did to her because nobody deserves to die the way she did,” said Sepulveda.

And it was among the candles, flowers and poems, remembering Jessica as a good friend and mother, that Edwin placed a birthday card with the words, "Happy Birthday Jessy, Love, Dad."

“[I wrote] I love you, happy birthday, there's a nice poem in there about friends and her father,” said Edwin.

Anyone with information on Jose Santiago's whereabouts can call the Springfield Police Detective's Bureau at 413-787-6355.  

This is the second victim of homicide who has been murdered by her partner in the last two weeks.