The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office (MCAO) announced Friday that Christopher John Garcia, 34, has been placed behind bars after being convicted of violent crimes against police officers and a pregnant woman.
“Victims of violent crime carry with them a lifetime of trauma that in many cases is difficult to overcome. This defendant is where he needs to be; away from society so he will not hurt again,” said County Attorney Rachel Mitchell (R). “To the victims of this crime and all victims in our community, you are the forefront of why we do the work that we do.”
The crime occurred in 2017 when Garcia began attempting to hijack multiple cars at gunpoint, with one incident involving a grandmother and six children. He was a five-time convicted felon at the time, meaning he was not allowed to possess a firearm. Eventually, Garcia came into contact with a woman 30 weeks pregnant and stole the vehicle she was driving. At the same time, police began catching up to Garcia, who proceeded to fire at the 12 officers nearby while driving away. While escaping, he ran over the pregnant woman, although she survived the incident.
Following the incident, Garcia fled into the neighborhood near 7th Street and Broadway, all while pointing his gun at pursuing officers, where he met a friend, and the pair drove to a house. The men attempted to barricade themselves within the house. However, police were able to coax Garcia out of the house, and he was arrested without further incident.
According to official documents, Garcia pled guilty to double counts of aggravated assault and armed robbery with a deadly weapon, plus a count of possessing a weapon when prohibited. All these combined to give him a sentencing of 26 years in the Arizona Department of Corrections.
“Although the carjacking happened more than five years ago, it continues to impact me daily. I will only leave the house to go to work or pick up groceries. I still have nightmares related to the carjacking and I have experienced panic attacks while out in public,” said the victim in an impact statement to the court.
Moreover, in March, the Arizona District of the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced charges for similar offenders. James Moreno, 18, and Christopher Rodriguez, 2018, both residents of San Xavier, Arizona, went on a carjacking spree on March 5th. The pair stole two vehicles at gunpoint and ran from police until being apprehended.
Carjacking is dangerous, not just for the victims but also for the suspects. As reported by KTAR News, Alfredo Panduro Zendejas, 44, lost his own life during a carjacking spree. In March, he reportedly hijacked three vehicles at gunpoint in Yuma to flee from police. During the ensuing chase, Zendejas was hit by a semi-truck and pronounced dead on the scene.
So far in 2023, there have been 1,559 cases of motor vehicle theft reported in the state, 177 of which have been cleared. Typically, Arizona sees roughly 16,000 of these offenses in a year, with 2021 seeing the most recent years at 17,879. Moreover, there have been 2,669 arrests involving a violent crime in 2023, most of which were classified as aggravated assault. The total number of homicides in Phoenix is roughly on track with 2022, with 2023 seeing 52 confirmed cases compared to 55 during the same time the previous year.
HOMICIDE REPORT:
These numbers show 2023 Year-To-Date compared to 2022 Year-To-Date.
Check it out for yourself. pic.twitter.com/axpVYuKV7N
— Sal DiCiccio (@Sal_DiCiccio) April 14, 2023
Additionally, the Republican-led state Legislature attempted to push a policy that would increase punishments for assaulting a pregnant woman, although the measure was ultimately vetoed by Governor Katie Hobbs (D).
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Neil Jones is a reporter for The Arizona Sun Times and The Star News Network. Follow Neil on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Christopher John Garcia” by Arizona Department of Corrections. Background Photo “Courtroom” by Carol M. Highsmith.
