Petrin trial week two: Witness wakes to gun fire ‘hard to comprehend what was going on’

On Monday, the second week of the Joshua Petrin first-degree murder trial in the death of Lorry Santos commenced.

Last week, court heard from former gang members of the White Boy Posse, Petrin’s now ex-girlfriend and Lorry Santos’ beloved husband, Ferdinand.

READ MORE: Josh Petrin’s ex-girlfriend testifies at 1st-degree murder trial: ‘I’m scared of him’

Now on day six, more than a handful of witnesses took the stand Monday as tactical team members with the Saskatoon Police Service continue to guard the courthouse.

One of those witnesses, Cary Tarasoff spoke to Global News exclusively after providing testimony – telling us that on Sept. 12, 2012 – he woke to the sound of gunfire ringing through the air.

A sound eerily familiar to Tarasoff after serving in the military, only this time the sound of shots were echoing through his neighbourhood.

“Very quick- bang, bang, bang and then a break then four shots the same cadence apart,” Tarasoff said.

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“It happened very, very quickly – it was startling because it was so quiet and early in the morning and it was hard to comprehend what was going on.”

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At one point, he thought the shooters were aiming at the motor home he was inside of – the sound was that loud.

“I’m listening to see if something is piercing the motor home and if I can hear something entering but I couldn’t hear anything like that.”

He ripped at the curtains in the motor home to see if he could see anything and wondered if his wife had been killed since she had left the motor home just moments earlier.

Tarasoff surveyed the area, made a run for the house and called 911 – realizing only moments later as police poured into the area, that the home just 120 feet away from his driveway was the target.

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It was the Santos family home, 203 Peterson Terrace and Lorry Santos – an innocent mother of four lost her life that day after peeking through the blinds to see who had rung their doorbell.

“These people are just very kind and this just didn’t fit.”

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Statements and details, Tarasoff testified to in court on Monday along with a handful of others called on by the Crown.

In December 2012, Petrin was arrested and charged in the death of Lorry Santos after an eight week joint investigation spanning two provinces.

Two men, including Randy O’Hagan, are already serving life sentences for the crime but it’s alleged Petrin orchestrated the hit intended for a former member of the White Boy Posse but instead gang members were given the wrong address.

READ MORE: Trial begins for man accused in the killing of Saskatoon mother Lorry Santos

During the first week of testimony, court heard from Serena Lodoen who gave O’Hagan the address to her ex – 203 Peterson Terrace after another women had sent it to her earlier.

That woman, Melissa Star testified just days earlier on Wednesday to giving Lodoen the address but texted her – 203 Peterson Crescent when asked. 203 Peterson Crescent does not exist, and when it is Googled, shows as 203 Peterson Terrace.

According to Petrin’s lawyer, the judge in this case is one of the most experienced criminal trial judges in the entire province of Saskatchewan.

The trial was slated to run six weeks although counsel agreed it would conclude much earlier than Oct. 14. When court broke for lunch on Monday – the Crown anticipated closing it’s case on Tuesday.