Christian de la Santos was described by neighbors as "an honorable man".
A Bronx father of two was gunned down a block from his house at 11 p.m. last night, in what police said was an attempted robbery.
Christian de la Santos, 34, who worked in a downtown hotel, was leaving Penelope Grocery at 1803 Mansion Street, when he was shot four times in the back, leg and head. Residents said they heard multiple gunshots ring out in the deserted streets.
By the time police arrived, de la Santos, who lived on Commonwealth Avenue with his wife and two daughters, was dead.
De la Santos’ brother in law said he was robbed of his expensive gold chain. They have no suspects yet. “It all comes back to the chain,” said Andre Roig, de la Santos’ brother in law.
Penelope Grocery owner Rensy Talvis, 40, said de la Santos had been watching television and drinking beer with four other friends at the store for much of the night.
After kicking the group out just before closing at 11 p.m., Talvis said he heard multiple gunshots outside.
“For the first few seconds I tried to hide,” Talvis said. “Then I walked outside and saw him laying there on the sidewalk.”
Talvis said de la Santos was a regular at the store and would come in to buy beer a few times a week.
“I was shocked, because that was our guy,” said Talvis. “He was always in here.”
The shooting shocked residents in what many feel to be a safe neighborhood. But store owner Talvis said he’s not going to let the incident scare him.
“I’m going to take all the precautions I normally do,” he said.