Two men were shot near East 168th Street and Morris Avenue in the Bronx in the early morning hours after Christmas in 2021. Terench Santana died at the scene, while Sergio Santana later died at Lincoln Hospital. An indictment against Clifton Savage was filed in federal court in October 2025. Savage pleaded not guilty on October 16 and was detained on consent following his initial appearance.
The December 2021 Shooting
Terench Santana and Sergio Santana were both found on the ground with gunshot wounds at about 4:05 a.m. on December 26, 2021, according to a report from New York Daily News. Terench Santana suffered a gunshot wound to the head and was found dead at the scene, while Sergio Santana was shot in the neck, arm and back and later died after being rushed to Lincoln Hospital. The younger victim was identified as 31-year-old Terench Santana.
Five days later, on December 31, 2021, Clifton Savage, then 40, was arrested at his Bronx home in connection with the killings, the Daily News report states. While executing a search warrant at Savage's home, police recovered what a department spokesperson described as a large quantity of narcotics. Savage was charged at the time with murder and manslaughter in the deaths of both men.
Federal Case Reopens Nearly Four Years Later
An indictment against Savage was filed in federal court last year. Court records reviewed on CourtListener show it was filed in the Southern District of New York on October 14, 2025, and an order unsealing it was signed on October 16. That day, Savage appeared in court and pleaded not guilty to the counts listed against him; the docket records that he was remanded and detained on consent following his initial appearance.
The Victim’s Identity
The October 2025 proceedings included the indictment and unsealing order, Savage’s arrest, arraignment, not-guilty plea and detention order. Later activity included attorney updates and an endorsed letter, with a status conference scheduled for January 2026. The younger victim was identified as Terench Santana in one account and Terrance Smith in another.
