RIVIERA BEACH, FL (BocaNewsNow.com) (Copyright © 2025 MetroDesk Media, LLC) — A Wellington man is facing charges after a romantic meetup allegedly ended with gunfire in the street. Emmanuel Santos, 23, was arrested early Thursday morning by the Riviera Beach Police Department after ShotSpotter technology detected gunshots near Seabird Way. Police say the incident began after Santos and a female companion met a “third party” for sexual relations, only to get into a heated argument afterward while trying to drive back to Boynton Beach.
When officers initially responded to the gunfire alerts around 2:40 a.m., they observed an orange Mustang fleeing the scene, leaving behind nothing but a cell phone in the grass. Police later located the vehicle on Broadway Avenue and initiated a felony traffic stop. The driver, identified as Francesca Rojas, reportedly told investigators that she and Santos got lost in Riviera Beach and exited the vehicle to argue, at which point Santos allegedly produced a black pistol and fired two shots into the air. Rojas told police they fled when they saw blue lights, switched drivers, and were actually returning to the scene to retrieve her lost phone when they were caught.
While Santos admitted to the sexual encounter, he denied firing a weapon or being on Seabird Way, claiming injuries on his hand and head were from working in an attic earlier that day. However, the police report obtained by BocaNewsNow.com states that investigators discovered significant evidence linking the vehicle to the shooting, including a spent 9mm shell casing resting on the exterior of the trunk and another on the rear passenger floorboard. A search of the vehicle yielded a black Glock 48 9mm handgun under the driver’s seat, along with ammunition and magazines found on the floorboard and inside a purse.
The cell phone found at the shooting scene was confirmed to belong to Rojas. Santos was arrested and charged with one count of discharging a firearm in public. He was transported to JFK North for medical clearance regarding his minor injuries before being booked into the Palm Beach County Jail. The arrest report lists his address as a residence in Wellington.
