Detectives from the City of Santa Clarita/Sheriff’s COBRA Unit have been actively investigating a shooting incident which occurred on Sunday, April 5th, 2009 near Whites Canyon Road and Pleasantdale Street, Canyon Country.  Refer to the original press release at the following link: Shooting Investigation – Canyon Country, a second release posted on April 9th, 2009 at this link: Shooting Suspect Identified, and a third release posted on May 26th, 2009 at this link: Another Crime Solved by SCV Sheriffs!.

On Wednesday, April 8th, 2009, Michael Ray Garcia was identified as the primary suspect in the shooting when the COBRA Unit joined forces with the Community Interaction Team (CIT) and served a search warrant in the 23000 block of Via Gayo in Valencia, at 9:30 a.m.  Although detectives missed the suspected shooter on that day, they recovered a 9mm handgun and the vehicle, 1994 Infinity - white in color, they believe were used in the commission of the crime.  They also recovered eight rifles and a second handgun at the location.  

Garcia, a suspected gang member on active felony parole for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, had been on the run since the day of the shooting and was taken into custody without incident just after 2:30 p.m. on Thursday afternoon, May 21, 2009 at the residence of a relative in Mesa, Arizona.    

Detectives from the COBRA Team had been working closely with other outside entities and resources of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, including the Department’s Major Crimes Bureau in their direct role with the United States Marshal’s Fugitive Task Force, to track Garcia down.  That hard work paid off when representatives from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department joined United States Marshals and the Mesa Police Department to apprehend Garcia.   

Garcia was booked at the Maricopa County Jail on a felony Parole Violation where he was held without bail and later extradited back to Los Angeles to face felony charges of attempted murder in connection with the case.  

On May 25, 2010 Garcia was sentenced in San Fernando Superior Court to 38 years in state prison for his involvement in the shooting.  Garcia becomes yet another example that crime doesn’t pay in Santa Clarita.

If You See Something, Say Something!  Anyone with information about a local crime is encouraged to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Santa Clarita Valley Station at (661) 255-1121.

If you prefer to provide information ANONYMOUSLY, you can call “Crime Stoppers” by dialing 800-222-TIPS (8477), texting the letters TIPLA plus your tip to CRIMES (274637), or using the web site http://lacrimestoppers.org.