Man, 28, gets life in 2009 nightclub murder

Jacksonville Sheriff's Office booking photo of Omar Santiago

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A 28-year-old Jacksonville man was sentenced Tuesday afternoon to life in prison for the first-degree murder of a 26-year-old man in a 2009 nightclub shooting.

Omar Santiago was also sentenced to 30 years in prison for solicitation to commit first-degree murder. The sentences run consecutively.

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In February 2009, Santiago and Jean Justo were at the Aqua nightclub on Beach Boulevard when the two began to argue over an incident that occurred days before, where Santiago's sister assaulted Justo's mother-in-law in front of Justo's child.

During the argument, Santiago pulled a gun from his pocket and shot Justo two times in the chest. Santiago then fled the scene.

In February 2010, Santiago was captured in Puerto Rico and brought back to Jacksonville to face the murder charge. In 2011, while in the Duval County jail, Santiago tried to hire a hitman to murder the eyewitness in the case.