Says “The Cops Are Coming, I’m Going To Jail.” The Cops Then Come. He Goes To Jail.
BOCA RATON, FL (BocaNewsNow.com) (Copyright © 2026 MetroDesk Media, LLC) — A local man is facing felony charges after Boca Raton Police say he tracked down an ex-girlfriend and attempted to force her into his vehicle against her will. Santy Richard Vasallo Barrios, 22, was arrested following a series of 911 calls from neighbors who reported hearing a woman’s desperate screams for help.
According to the probable cause affidavit, the incident began when the victim took a Lyft from Delray Beach to her home in Boca Raton to avoid driving. She reportedly noticed Vasallo Barrios following her in his red BMW, prompting her to redirect her driver to a nearby McDonald’s in an attempt to lose him. However, when she finally arrived at her apartment, she discovered her front door partially open and found Vasallo Barrios waiting inside her bedroom.
The situation escalated in the parking lot, where investigators say Vasallo Barrios picked the woman up and tried to shove her into the passenger side of his car. Independent witnesses corroborated the victim’s account, telling officers they saw a man wrapping his arms around a woman’s head and forcefully grabbing her as she screamed for someone to help her. Police noted that the passenger door of the BMW was still wide open when they arrived on the scene at approximately 3:40 a.m.
Vasallo Barrios allegedly told officers he was simply following the woman to ensure she got home safely and described the physical struggle as”just hugging her.” However, police say cell phone video recorded by the victim showed him following her earlier that night and captured him eventually stating, “I’m going to jail, I’m gonna be arrested, the cops are coming.” Vasallo Barrios was booked into the Palm Beach County Jail on charges of false imprisonment and domestic battery. He was released on $6,000 bond pending a court date.
