A man in California has been arrested after he shot his ex-wife and her new boyfriend after he allegedly lost his “temper.”
The Dinuba Police Department arrested Miguel Angel Saldana Garcia and he was formally charged with two counts of murder on Wednesday, April 22.
Police said that Garcia, 43, fatally shot his ex-wife, Irai Torres, and her boyfriend, Jose Medina, on Tuesday, April 21, during a confrontation at a home in Dinuba.
Dinuba Police Chief Abel Iriarte told KSEE/KPGE that Garcia “lost [his] temper” when he fatally shot the couple.
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Details about the actual interaction between Garcia, Torres, 39, and Medina, 51, leading up to the killings have not been made public. However, Iriarte said that Garcia fled the scene after the shooting in a white Toyota truck and went back to his home in Reedley. He then switched vehicles and returned back to Dinuba in a different car.
Multiple 911 calls were made regarding the shooting, which reportedly happened around 5:10 p.m. Police then reported to the home, where they found Torres and Medina dead.
Police managed to track Garcia down a few hours after the shooting near the Dinuba Police Department and he was arrested without incident.
He was booked into jail and was charged with two counts of murder with special allegations for multiple murders, discharging a firearm, planning the crime and violent conduct.
Garcia pleaded not guilty during a court appearance on Thursday, April 23. He is next scheduled to appear in court on May 4.
It is not currently clear if Garcia has retained legal counsel following his arrest.
Amid the initial investigation, Iriarte said that he believed the crime was motivated by “passion” based on what he was “seeing or hearing,” according to KSEE/KPGE.
“It was a crime of passion, lost temper, via an argument, and it resulted in a travesty,” Iriarte added.
Authorities said that Garcia was not known to the Dinuba Police Department and they do not believe he has a criminal history.
It’s also believed that the gun Garcia used in the shooting is in his car. However, police will not be able to confirm the suspicion until they obtain a search warrant to look through the vehicle.
Iriarte also said that the investigation into the murders remains ongoing.
Not much is known about Garcia and Torres’ relationship, including how long ago they separated. Police did confirm that the former couple shared a child together.
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