Three people arrested in February love triangle stabbing death of Pleasant Hill parks worker

Concord man detained on immigration warrant, two Antioch women – one an ex-girlfriend – suspected of killing Pittsburg resident Santiago Jacobo; all former colleagues

GoFundMe account for victim's family exceeds goal

By Captain Matt Kristic, Pleasant Hill Police Department

Crime/Incident: Homicide – Penal Code 187

Report date/time: February 10, 2024

Location: Pleasant Hill Park, 147 Gregory Lane, Pleasant Hill

Victim: Santiago Jacobo, 37, resident of Pittsburg, California

Suspects: Suspect #1 Pablo Gutierrez-Morales, 31, resident of Concord, California (in custody)

Suspect #2 Vanessa Vera-Aguilar, 24, resident of Antioch, California (in custody)

Suspect #3 Jazmin Ruiz, 25, resident of Antioch, California (in custody)

File number: 24-411

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On Friday, May 31, 2024, Pleasant Hill Police investigators arrested three people in connection with the February 10, 2024 stabbing death of park employee Santiago Jacobo of Pittsburg.

Pablo José Gutierrez-Morales, 31 of Concord; Vanessa Vera-Aguilar, 24 of Antioch and Jazmin Ruiz, 25 of Antioch were booked into the Contra Costa County Jail in Martinez on charges of murder and conspiracy to commit murder.

During a three-month investigation, Pleasant Hill police detectives obtained evidence indicating that the victim and suspects knew each other while they all worked together at the Watermark in San Ramon, an assisted living facility.

Evidence shows that the arrested suspects planned, coordinated and carried out the attack on Jacobo on the night of February 10, 2024, after Jacobo finished his job as a guard at Pleasant Hill Park. (See related article)

Detectives determined that prior to Jacobo's murder, he had been in a relationship with suspect Vera-Aguilar while another suspect, Gutierrez-Morales, was in a new relationship with her.

Police detectives are asking anyone with information regarding Jacobo's death and the suspects involved to contact the Pleasant Hill Police Bureau of Investigation at (925) 288-4630.

Our thoughts and condolences are with the Jacobo family.

The Pleasant Hill Police Department would like to thank the San Ramon Police Department for their assistance. We would also like to thank the Pleasant Hill Recreation and Parks District for their continued assistance throughout this homicide investigation.

According to the Contra Costa Sheriff's Office, Gutierrez-Morales, five feet, 10 inches tall and 180 pounds (born 5/8/1993), is being held in the Martinez Detention Center without bail and his arrest type is listed as Immigration. . Ruiz, five feet tall and 105 pounds, is incarcerated in the West County Detention Center on a Ramey warrant without bail. No information about Vera-Aguilar was available in an online search by the Contra Contra Sheriff's Office. However, according to her Facebook page, she attended Deer Valley High School and left in 2018. Efforts to reach Vera-Aguilar and Captain Kristic for additional details were unsuccessful before publication time.

A GoFundMe account for Jacobo, created by his sister-in-law Maria Jacobo on behalf of his wife, Alejandra Jacobo, raised $42,109 as of Saturday, June 1, surpassing the goal of $35,000. According to the story, “he leaves behind a wife and two children, his son Santiago and his daughter Mikaela. It seems so unreal to see how his life was taken in such a violent and cowardly way. Santiago was a kind, hardworking man and will be missed by many loved ones. Donations are intended “to cover funeral costs or any expenses Alejandra and her children may have during this difficult time.”

Please check back later for any updates.

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.