Perry Hall's Robert Santoni Describes Leaving Boston After Bombing

Fifty miles outside of Boston, and Perry Hall’s Robert Santoni Jr. said he still saw emergency vehicles heading northbound. 

“I think they need as much manpower as they can get to search and find clues. It’s all very surreal,” Santoni said.  

The owner of Santoni’s Super Market in Baltimore crossed the finish line Monday afternoon at the Boston Marathon, which became the site of a deadly bombing attack that Politico reports White House officials consider an act of terror.

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“We’ve been talking about what a beautiful weekend it was—beautiful weather, a great celebration day for Boston, the Red Sox playing, the Marathon going on,” Santoni said, describing the picturesque, All-American weekend. 

“Every detail was taken care of. ... Everything was perfect,” he continued. “It was the perfect end to the race, everybody was picking up their medals. And to have it end like this, it’s surreal. It really just mars the whole celebration.”

An hour and 10 minutes elapsed between Santoni striding across the finish the line and the bombs going off. Santoni finished the 26.2-mile race at 1:40 p.m. The first bomb was detonated at 2:50 p.m.  

It wasn’t until, like out of a movie, Santoni boarded a busy subway that the afternoon would take a terrifying turn. 

“Our train didn’t move,” Santoni said. 

A woman nearby checking her phone received a text message alert regarding what authorities then classified as an undetermined explosion. 

Then the evacuations began. 

Santoni and his group left the station and hailed a cab 15 minutes later. 

Back in their hotel, about three miles outside of Boston, Santoni and his friends packed while they watched the events of the afternoon unfold. An 8-year-old was killed by one of the explosions, according to multiple news reports. 

“We were afraid that we weren’t going to get out of the city,” he said.  

By 5:15 p.m., and on the other side of the city, Santoni was on the road, leaving Boston behind. 

“Whoever did this wanted to make a statement,” he said. “That bomb could’ve been detonated at two hours and 10 minutes into race right when the elite runners crossed. It could’ve been done at any time."

“When the elite runners were finishing, there could’ve been another 2,000 to 5,000 people standing around in that area. It could’ve been worse.”

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Boston Mayor's Hotline for families of victims: 617-635-4500 

Boston Police line for witnesses who may have information: 800-494-8477