WORCESTER, Mass. — In Worcester District Court, 31-year-old Marcel Santos-Padgett was allowed to stay out of the courtroom for his arraignment for the shooting death of a woman at Angie’s Bodyworks Spa on Pleasant Street.
Police say around 2 a.m. on Thanksgiving morning, Santos-Padgett pointed a gun at the victim’s head inside the spa, and pulled the trigger, before taking off in his car which was parked out front.
Authorities say surveillance cameras outside and inside the spa helped them identify their suspect and led to his arrest.
In court, a prosecutor described how the spa’s video surveillance gave police their timeline of the deadly shooting.
“He meets the victim in question, they go into her work area for about a half hour where you can hear a gunshot. You then see him leave that room with a firearm, the only two people in the building,” Worcester Assistant District Attorney Terry McLaughlin told a judge.
At Angie’s Spa, no one was available to talk and a sign on the front door essentially said no comment.
Angie’s website describes itself as an Asian spa.
Police have not yet publicly identified the victim.
But Nikki Bell, a well-known Worcester activist who advocates for those involved in prostitution, is concerned about the victim and the other women who still work here.
She wants all of the facts released.
“People are being exploited in every city across our state, every day, so yes, I would like full disclosure on what happened here,” Bell said.
At the time of the deadly shooting at the spa, Marcel Santos-Padgett was on probation for his conviction on weapons charges for a home invasion in Worcester in 2021.
He is now held without bail until a dangerousness hearing on December 13.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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