Suspects in death of Warwick High School graduate arrested

PHILADELPHIA — It was during last Saturday’s funeral service in Warwick for Kevin Kless, 23, the Warwick Valley High School and Temple University graduate who was recently beaten to death on the streets of Philadelphia, that the word began to spread that three suspects had just been apprehended. Kless, who was living and working in Philadelphia, was leaving a restaurant and lounge in the city’s historic district with his girlfriend and a second female companion around 2:30 a.m. on Jan. 14 when he tried and failed to hail a taxi. According to police, he shouted angrily at the cab and the suspects, traveling close to that taxi in another vehicle, likely believed his anger was directed at them. Police said they got out of their car and beat the young man unconscious in front of the two women who screamed for help. Kless was rushed to Thomas Jefferson Medical Center and died that evening as a result of severe head trauma. Capt. James Clark, commanding officer of the Philadelphia Police Homicide Division, issued a statement late last Friday night that a tipster led police to the suspects: Steven Ferguson, 20, Kenneth Santiago, 19, and Felix Carrillo, 23. One of the three, he added, had confessed. Clark and Philadelphia Deputy Police Commissioner Richard Ross thanked homicide detectives and the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force for their help in tracking the men down. The City of Philadelphia, the Fraternal Order of Police and the Citizens Crime Commission had offered a $20,000 reward for information leading to the suspects. Police Media Relations Officer Tanya Little told The Warwick Advertiser that the suspects were being held on charges of murder, aggravated assault, simple assault and conspiracy to commit murder. Editor’s note: Sources for this article included the Office of Media Relations, Philadelphia Police Department, the Philadelphia Inquirer and Channel 29 Fox News.