FRESNO, California (KGPE) – Hours after a California man was acquitted of murder and released from jail, someone opened fire on the car he was riding in Tuesday, wounding him and killing his girlfriend.
The shooting happened that evening along Highway 180 after Michael Garcia was released from the Fresno County Jail, according to information provided by his attorney and the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office.
Garcia was taken from the scene to the hospital. His attorney, Eric Castellon, says he was beyond heartbroken to hear 21-year-old Ernestine Thomas, the driver of the vehicle, was killed in the incident.
“She had been there the entire trial, she’d been there for Mr. Garcia. She was very excited to have her life begin with Mr. Garcia,” said Castellon.
Garcia was accused of first-degree murder following an incident in 2019. The not-guilty verdict was reached around 3 p.m. Tuesday and jail records show Garcia was released from Fresno County Jail at 9:43 p.m. Tuesday. CHP says the shooting took place around 10:30 p.m. along westbound Highway 180, east of Highway 99.
“It’s clear they were waiting for him,” said Castellon. “From what I’ve been informed, it was very clear they were waiting for him outside the jail.”
The investigation into the fatal shooting is ongoing.