LOWELL, Mass. — A Lowell man has been sentenced to life in prison without parole after he was convicted of first-degree murder in connection with setting his wife on fire in their Lowell home in 2021.
Santos Lebron De Los Santos, 44, set his wife, Celeste Marte Lebron, 49, on fire while she was in the bathtub by dousing her with gasoline and igniting her with a lighter on March 31, 2021, Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan said in a statement Friday.
Celeste Marte Lebron suffered burns covering approximately 90 percent of her body, and died from her injuries about three weeks later, on April 20, 2021, Ryan said.
Judge John Pappas sentenced Santos Lebron De Los Santos to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
On March 31, 2021, at approximately 10:40 p.m., emergency personnel responded to a report of large visible flames inside a Varnum Street house.
When first responders arrived, they found the victim, Celeste Marte Lebron, being assisted outside by a neighbor, Ryan said. Investigators learned that the victim told the neighbor that her husband had lit her on fire after accusing her of infidelity.
Authorities learned that her husband, Santos Lebron De Los Santos, had been the only person home with her at the time of the fire.
Santos Lebron De Los Santos gave “widely conflicting stories” to investigators during interviews, Ryan said. Forensic evidence gathered by state fire investigators at the scene ultimately disproved his statements, showing instead that he set his wife on fire while she was in a bathtub.
After the fire started, he did not call 911 for assistance for his wife, Ryan said.
Instead, when the neighbor assisted her outside to help, Santos Lebron De Los Santos “attempted to grab his burned wife and take her back inside the house before the police arrived,” the district attorney said. He also tried to conceal the cause of the fire by taking the gas can that he used outside and putting it in the back of his truck under his tools.
“Celeste Marte Lebron was a victim of Santos Lebron De Los Santos’ controlling behavior,” Ryan said. “In the past, using threats and violence, he isolated his wife and threatened even more violence if she reported his actions to the police. This pattern ultimately escalated to the point where, while his wife was in her bathtub, the defendant attacked her, poured gasoline on her and set her on fire.”
“Literally on fire, Ms. Lebron managed to get herself out of the tub and out of the apartment to seek help. Yet, the defendant was not finished controlling her,” Ryan said. “As a neighbor frantically tried to help Ms. Lebron, who was suffering from horrific burns, the defendant tried to prohibit that man’s helping and pushed to get her back inside the apartment where he had attempted to incinerate her.”
“Fighting for her life, Ms. Lebron endured weeks of painful treatment for those excruciating injuries before finally succumbing. After her death, the defendant told several different versions of how the fire started, alternately attempting to pass his actions off as a joke, a scare tactic, or a faulty electrical issue in an attempt to evade accountability,” Ryan said. “With this verdict, the jury placed responsibility squarely on the defendant for the horror that he inflicted on Ms. Lebron.”
The investigation involved the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office, Lowell Police, the State Police fire investigators assigned to the State Fire Marshal’s Office, and State Police Detectives assigned to Ryan’s office.
Since 2021, there have been 14 domestic homicides in Middlesex County, Ryan said.
The Middlesex District Attorney’s Office partners with domestic violence service agencies across the county and the state to offer survivors support and resources. For resources, visit this website.
In 2020, District Attorney Marian Ryan launched a dedicated text line during business hours to provide victims with direct access to a victim witness advocate via text message. The line provides the opportunity for victims in non-emergency situations to have live interaction with an advocate in the District Attorney’s Office without having to say a word.
Victims can reach an advocate during regular office hours of 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. via text message at 1-781-305-0399. Ryan noted that the line is not monitored 24/7 and is not an emergency line.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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