|
City of Santa Clarita KNX 1070
|
BREAKING NEWS: GARCIA CAPTURED!
Read the L.A. District Attorney's Press Release
On April 29, 2002, Los Angeles County Deputy Sheriff David March was on routine uniformed patrol, driving a single man marked black and white patrol vehicle in an unincorporated area of the county. At approximately 10:30 a.m., March apparently initiated a traffic stop, entering the vehicle's license plate on his Mobile Data Terminal (M.D.T.). Less than two minutes after the entry, a passing motorist observed Deputy March lying in the street bleeding and activated the emergency button on the M.D.T. Deputy March was shot several times, at close range, by a single gunman and died from his wounds. March's handgun was still holstered.
Armando Garcia has admitted killing Deputy March to a number of acquaintances. He had previously vowed to kill any police officer who tried to arrest him. Other evidence also connects Garcia to killing Deputy March. Garcia fled to Mexico within hours of killing Deputy March and is believed to still be hiding there.
April 29, 2002, was the worst day of my life. I found out that my soul-mate, David March, was shot and killed on duty while doing a routine traffic stop at 10:30 in the morning. He was shot in the side of his chest, where the vest did not cover, then executed in the head. I also learned that his killer fled the scene.
Instantly the news media was at the hospital, and at my home to catch the drama as it unfolded. I didn’t want to be on camera, but needed the world's help finding the person(s), that fled from the scene in a black Maxima. Within two days, the face of the expected killer was all over the news. I wanted to see the eyes of a killer who took my dreams away.
As I sat there, ill in despair, two Hispanic men told the media, they had told Armando Garcia, “Chato” to flee to the border (Mexico). I thought this was a place to run and hide. Not a place to seek a safe haven. I was soon to find out how broken our justice system really was.
I began to learn new terminology such as; extradition, deportation, bounty hunters, treaty, corruption within Mexico, and worst of all our own government's lack of involvement. This was very overwhelming considering my future, as I saw it, was never going to be the same.
As I approach the one year mark, I cannot believe <more>
On April 29, 2002 my brother, Deputy Dave March was killed while making a traffic stop in Irwindale. Dave was executed by Armando Garcia, a drug dealer from Mexico. Garcia had been deported from the United States three times prior to Dave’s murder. At the time of Dave’s murder, Garcia was wanted for two other attempted murders. Little did we know that while we were mourning the loss of Dave, Garcia was making a beeline to Mexico, where he knew he could escape from justice in the United States. Before Dave was killed, we had no idea that anyone with even a trace of Mexican blood could commit serious crimes in the U.S. and avoid our justice system simply by crossing the border into Mexico. Mexico will not extradite murderers, rapists or any other criminals facing a life sentence or the death penalty in the United States. We just wanted Dave’s killer back; we didn’t care that there were insane extradition treaties between the United States and Mexico. In the months after Dave’s death, we met other wonderful families that were in the same situation. Many of them had been fighting our government for years on this extradition issue.
Dave dying is something none of us imagined could ever happen. When I first found out, I was at the pediatrician with my son, Jake. My husband, Kimo called me on my cell phone and asked for our neighbor’s phone number. I could tell that Kimo was upset about something, so I asked him if everything was OK. He started crying and told me that Dave had been shot. My immediate thought was that Dave, being a member of our clumsy family, probably shot himself in the foot. I asked Kimo if Dave was OK, but he <more>
Dear Dave,
As I write this letter looking at your picture I can only feel how lucky I am. Your beautiful smile, intensity, strength, kindness, and love of the truth warms my heart. The dignity with which you handled yourself and others fills Dad's and my world with pride. To watch the true character surface in your life filled our world with joy and happiness beyond our wildest dreams for you.
Had I known you would be remarkable in so many ways maybe I wouldn't have worried so much about you. It was those difficult teen years that seemed to last until well into your twenties that brought me to my knees many times over and produced grey hairs and wrinkles I now live with. It was your father who never quit believing in you no matter what. His faith in you was undying. Now I realize it was your search for purpose and love that fueled fearfulness and the frustration in your life at that time. It took a decade of stretching and hard work to bring your life to a better place. Now I can see that as you ventured out into what was unfamiliar and as you become comfortable with what had been uncomfortable by forging into the unknown you were growing. You took only your values of decency and <more>
Dear Mr. President,
I am living the unthinkable nightmare!! Sir, I have told you in person, at the National Police Memorial on May 15, 2003 we needed your help. You said, "We’re going to get this guy." You looked in my eye, and I believed you.
I briefly told you of the injustice that has ripped our family apart. On April 29, 2002, my husband, Deputy David March, was gunned down on a traffic stop by an illegal alien. His killer fled to his native land of Mexico. It is known of his location, and it also is known that he openly brags of his getaway. The suspect, Armando "Chato" Garcia, first shot my husband in broad daylight in the chest, under his armpit, and finished him with a fatal gunshot wound to his head. He vowed he would <more>
For more information, see our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.
© 2004 - 2008 Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office. All Rights Reserved.
