After finding Joseph Ashley Garcia guilty of first-degree murder, a Superior Court jury in Lompoc also deemed him sane at the time of the fiery attack that led to his father’s death in 2022.
The second phase of the trial for the 44-year-old Garcia began Monday and concluded Tuesday with the jury’s decision regarding the defendant’s sanity.
Garcia was arrested after the June 11, 2022, attack that critically injured his father, Joseph Michael Garcia, 68, who died days later.
Officers responded at 3:30 p.m. that day to a residence on the 200 block of North D Street to a report of a father and son fighting, according to the Lompoc Police Department.
Garcia tossed a flammable substance on his father and then ignited a torch to set the fire.
When police entered the residence, they found the father’s head and upper body engulfed in flames.
The father’s dog had been sitting on his lap and fled from the house, but was captured and ultimately cared for by a Los Alamos resident, who found a new home for the healed canine.
The defendant had been charged with first-degree murder along with a special circumstance of torture, plus felony animal cruelty and an allegation for use of a deadly weapon.
He pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, leading to the two-part trial.
On April 13, the jury found Garcia guilty of first-degree murder and the special circumstance of torture, but not guilty of animal cruelty.
For the second part of the trial, jurors heard from several psychologists about Garcia’s mental health.
Attorneys on both sides stipulated that Garcia suffered from a delusional disorder, but the two sides disagreed on his mental condition at the time of the fatal attack.
“The evidence is overwhelming that Mr. Garcia was insane at the time of the offense,” defense attorney George Steele said.
He argued that Garcia did not understand the wrongfulness of his crime.
But Senior Deputy District Attorney Madison Whitmore used Garcia’s testimony to argue the defendant knew his actions were wrong.
“He just wanted to get attention for it,” Whitmore said, referring to Garcia saying he wanted media attention to highlight his allegations against his father.
“It’s wrong. It’s horrific. It’s a brutal cold-blooded murder.”
The prosecuting attorney quoted Garcia’s statement that “I just had it with him (his father). I was sick of his (expletive).”
She also reminded jurors of the victim’s statement that “He said he’s there to kill me.”
The trial began March 9 with attorneys choosing a jury and alternates.
The murder conviction and sanity verdict mean Garcia will be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for June 9 before Judge Stephen Dunkle in Santa Maria.
Garcia remains in the custody without bail at the Santa Barbara County Jail.
Before his arrest, Garcia became known in the community for being an outspoken advocate for the cannabis industry in Lompoc, often speaking at public meetings while wearing a cap with a marijuana leaf.