LOMPOC, CA - A 44-year-old man out of Santa Barbara County, California, learned his fate in court earlier in June after being found guilty of murdering his 68-year-old father by way of immolation in June 2022 while the victim was seated and holding his pet terrier.
The Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office confirmed in a press release from earlier in June that 44-year-old Joseph Ashley Garcia will be serving life without parole for the brutal torture and murder of his father, 68-year-old Joseph Michael Garcia.
Garcia was found guilty this past April for the June 2022 arson attack on his father which ultimately claimed the elder Garcia’s life, where prosecutors proved the defendant doused his father’s head in acetone while the victim was sitting with his dog before setting his head on fire. The resulting burns covered approximately 35% of the victim’s body, leading to the elder Garcia going septic and dying in the hospital ten days after the incident.
During the trial, Garcia attempted to defend his actions, claiming he was simply trying to set his father’s hair on fire. Prosecutors reportedly pushed back on that assertion, with Senior Deputy DA Madison Whitmore responding with, “You didn't do what you needed to do to only burn his hair, right?” Garcia reportedly conceded that the roughly four ounces of acetone poured atop his father’s scalp would result in more than just his hair burning, saying, “I guess I’d agree with that.”
Prosecutors further shared with the jury how Garcia admitted to police following his arrest that he’d accused his father of having an affair with his spouse prior to the attack, reportedly telling police, “I just had it with him…I was sick of his sh*t.” Apparently, methamphetamine also played a role in the incident, according to authorities.
The victim’s dog, Charlie, reportedly suffered burns to the ear and right shoulder as a result of the arson attack, but ultimately recovered. Local reports note that when the victim was about to be transported to the hospital for treatment, he told first responders, “I need my dog. Find Charlie.”
When Garcia was found guilty of murder and animal cruelty on April 13, Santa Barbara DA John Savrnoch issued a statement reading in part, “The jury heard the evidence and held this defendant fully accountable. A finding of first-degree murder with the torture special circumstance sends an unambiguous message that this community will not tolerate acts of extreme cruelty.”
During his sentencing on June 10, Garcia reportedly made no open statements in court and was only observed privately conversing with his attorney.
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