Vivar arrested on May 9
An 18-year-old Bradenton man has been charged with murder in connection with the shootings that occurred on Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024, at Twin Lakes Park on Clark Road in Sarasota, the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office has reported.
Jonathan Vivar, 18, of 11550 Echo Lake Circle, Unit 207, in Bradenton, was taken into custody on May 9, a news release said. He formally was charged with Homicide: Murder Dangerous Depraved without Premeditation in the death of Eric Santana-Santana, 17, the release pointed out.
In an early February announcement about arrests in the Twin Lakes case, the Sheriff’s Office noted that a Bradenton juvenile was taken into custody by the Sheriff’s Office’s Fugitive Apprehension Unit, with the assistance of the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office. However, Vivar was not named in that news release.
As of May 15, Vivar remained in custody, without bond, at the Sarasota County Correctional Facility, The Sarasota News Leader found by checking the Sheriff’s Office’s Corrections Division records.
Vivar’s arraignment has been scheduled for June 6, his booking record said.
During the November 2024 incident, the latest Sheriff’s Office news release explained, shots were fired during a party held after-hours at Twin Lakes Park, resulting in the death of Santana-Santana.
The Feb. 7 news release noted that a second person who was shot was treated for his injuries.
Twin Lakes Park is home to a variety of athletic facilities. It is open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., its webpage says.
“Additional charges are pending,” the Feb. 7 news release pointed out.
The News Leader learned from the records maintained by the Office of the Sarasota County Clerk of the Circuit Court and County Comptroller that, in February, Vivar was charged with Aggravated Battery, Discharging a Firearm in Public, Carrying a Concealed Weapon, and Trespass by a Person Armed with a Firearm/Dangerous Weapon. No details of the Twin Lakes incident were provided in that Probable Cause Affidavit.
On March 10, court records showed, Vivar pleaded “Not Guilty” and demanded a jury trial. He was being represented by an assistant Sarasota County public defender, court documents said.
The News Leader found no other case records involving Vivar in Sarasota County.
The Manatee County Clerk of Court’s records showed that Vivar was charged with several traffic infractions in late July 2024. He pleaded guilty to a careless driving count and paid a $166 fine, those records noted.
However, in response to his having been charged with failure to display the vehicle’s registration, Vivar filed an affidavit showing that the vehicle he was driving when he was stopped was owned by another person.
Court records indicate that he did pay a $113 fine in late August 2024 in regard to that traffic infraction, nonetheless.