Sheriff’s seek the identity of suspect in shooting in Monrovia that took the life of teenager, Oscar Garcia. It was less than thirty minutes before midnight on Saturday, April 22, when three teenagers were surprised by a stranger with a gun. Garcia, 18, of Monrovia, and a male juvenile friend went to the home of a female juvenile friend, located in the 100 block of West Cypress Avenue, Monrovia, to visit with each other and pass an average Saturday night in good company.
As the three friends hung out in the garage of the home, an unknown man unexpectedly approached the door. He pointed a handgun at them and after a brief verbal exchange, the stranger fired several rounds at each one in the trio of friends. The female was not hurt, but both Garcia and the other male juvenile were struck in the torso by gunfire and suffered serious injuries.
The suspect ran away from the damage he caused, and fled southbound on foot toward an alley behind the house and out of view.
One of the residents dialed 9-1-1 to summon emergency assistance. Monrovia Police Department and paramedic personnel responded and found the two males suffering from their wounds. The male juvenile was transported to a local hospital for medical attention, but Oscar was pronounced dead at the scene.
As part of a long-standing contract agreement, detectives from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Homicide Bureau responded to the location and continued the investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.
After all clues and tips were probed, and all investigatory leads were exhausted, the detectives approached the media at a press conference on Thursday May 11, asking for the public’s assistance in identifying the suspect in the shooting in Monrovia.
The suspect is described as a male Hispanic with a light complexion, 20 to 25 years old, approximately six feet tall, medium build, brown eyes, short, black hair, and a goatee. At the time of the crime, the suspect wore dark clothing and a baseball cap with an unknown logo on the front.
– Courtesy photo.
If you have information about the fatal shooting of Oscar Garcia and the critical injuring of his friend, please call Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau Detective Scott Matlock or Sergeant Ken Perry at (323) 890-5500. If you prefer to remain anonymous, you may call “L.A. Crime Stoppers” at (800) 222-8477, use your smartphone by downloading the “P3 MOBILE APP” on Google play or the App Store, or use the website http://lacrimestoppers.org.
At the time of his death, Oscar was completing his senior year of high school. He enjoyed taking pictures and looked forward to attending a local community college, where he planned to study photography and advance his hobby into a professional career. His interests were diverse and ranged from the quietness of photography to the fast-paced action of sports. He was an athlete who enjoyed playing as part of team in high school soccer, and as an individual, practicing skilled moves on his skateboard at a local park. Oscar was the second youngest of six children. He had a kind and sunny disposition, and was greatly beloved by his mother and siblings.
