Despite having a restraining order that legally prevented 36-year-old Jose Antonio Garcia from contacting his estranged wife Adriana Garcia, he allegedly went to her home at 1402 S. Mohawk Dr., Santa Ana, Saturday morning.
Jose, who was slapped with the order because he was accused of having roughed up Adriana in the past, shot the 34-year-old in the head, left her in a bedroom and called 9-1-1, according to authorities.
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When police arrived, he was sitting in his truck with his gun pointed at his head. Following a nearly one-hour standoff with police that ended after the man heard a tape recorded message from his father, Garcia put the gun down, walked away from the truck and surrendered without further incident.
Adrina Garcia, who was rushed to a hospital in grave condition but died Saturday night, was the mother of five children, ages 7 to 18.
The Orange County District Attorney's Office statement on the case follows . . .
October 18, 2010
HUSBAND CHARGED WITH MURDERING ESTRANGED WIFE BY SHOOTING HER IN SANTA ANA HOME
SANTA ANA – A husband has been charged with shooting and murdering his
estranged wife in her Santa Ana home. Jose Antonio Garcia, 36, Santa
Ana, is charged with one felony count of murder with a sentencing
enhancement for the personal discharge of a firearm causing death. If
convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 50 years to life in state
prison. Garcia is being held on $1 million bail and is expected to be
arraigned in Department CJ-1, Central Jail, Santa Ana. The arraignment
is expected today or tomorrow, Oct. 18 or 19, 2010.
On the morning of Oct. 16, 2010, Garcia is accused of taking a firearm
and going to the Santa Ana home of his estranged wife, 34-year-old
Adriana Garcia. The defendant is accused of violating a restraining
order, which the victim had obtained against him as a result of his past
violence against her. Garcia is accused of murdering the victim by
shooting her in the head and leaving her body in a bedroom.
After the murder, the defendant is accused of using his cell phone to
call 911. Responding officers located Garcia sitting inside his car near
the crime scene. The defendant is accused of being in possession of a
firearm at the time of his arrest.
Senior Deputy District Attorney Mike Murray of the Homicide Unit is prosecuting this case.
OC Weekly Editor-in-Chief Matt Coker has been engaging, enraging and entertaining readers of newspapers, magazines and websites for decades. He spent the first 13 years of his career in journalism at daily newspapers before “graduating” to OC Weekly in 1995 as the alternative newsweekly’s first calendar editor.