New Jersey cop fatally hit nurse with his car — then brought the body back to his house: prosecutors

On Wednesday, WCBS 880 reported that a Newark, New Jersey police officer has been arrested after being accused of fatally hitting a nurse with his car — and then taking the body home to decide what to do before returning it to the scene of the crime.

The Essex County prosecutor announced Wednesday that 25-year-old Newark cop Louis Santiago was charged with reckless vehicular homicide, desecrating human remains, and other charges after he fatally hit 29-year-old nurse Damian Dymka and then stuffed his lifeless body into his car.

"Officials said Santiago didn't remain in his lane and traveled into the right shoulder, hitting Dymka," writes WCBS 880. "Neither Santiago, nor his passenger Albert Guzman, 25, of Newark, called 911, according to prosecutors, but they did return to the scene multiple times before loading the victim into the car and departing. Santiago allegedly took the body to his home, where Santiago, Guzman and Santiago's mother Annette Santiago, 53, discussed what they should do. Ultimately, officials said Santiago returned to the scene."

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According to the report, Santiago was arrested after his father, a lieutenant in the same police department, called 911 to report the incident. State Police found Dymka's body still in the back of Santiago's car.

This comes amid a number of other cases of police misconduct being charged and litigated. In Hawaii this month, a police officer was sentenced to 30 months for trying to extort sex from a criminal defendant in exchange for exculpatory testimony.