The heartbreaking news has left Peekskill mourning the loss of a teenager who "was loved" by the community, his father said.
"He was a great kid," Escobar said. "An excellent son. A good student in school. A hard worker.
"We could see he was an achiever. He had goals in life. He wanted to achieve greatness."
That striving for greatness was dominated by soccer, which Polonia Santos excelled in. As a junior for Peekskill High School's soccer team, he was one of the team's leading scorers during the 2020 season.
The Peekskill school district said its clinical team would be available in the high school cafeteria from 3 to 5 p.m. Thursday for anyone who needed support.