Lompoc Man Who Lit Father and Dog on Fire Found Guilty of Murder, Torture

The Lompoc man accused of setting his father and a dog on fire in 2022 was found guilty of first-degree murder and torture on April 13th, following a trial prosecuted by Senior Deputy District Attorney Madison Whitmore.

On April 21, the jury also found the defendant, 44-year-old Joseph Ashley Garcia, legally sane at the time of the offense — rejecting the defense’s insanity plea. 

On the afternoon of June 11, 2022, police officers responded to a 9-1-1 call of a domestic dispute between Garcia and his father, 68-year-old Joseph Michael Garcia, at a residence in the 200 block of North D Street in Lompoc.

Garcia Jr. was allegedly using methamphetamine and marijuana and had accused his spouse of having an affair with his father in the months leading up to the incident. 

On the day of the incident, Garcia Jr. and his father were allegedly involved in a heated dispute. According to court records, Lompoc Police Detective Elizabeth Renner and Officer Sergio Peralta arrived on scene, heard a cry for help, and looked through a window to see the defendant and his father with the dog, a terrier named Charlie, in his father’s lap. Records show that Lompoc Police Sgt. Jorge Magana also arrived on scene and the officers pleaded with the defendant to cooperate with them. 

After the defendant allegedly refused, the officers attempted forced entry, but screams from the father and the dog’s barking could soon be heard from the inside. Once inside, they found the father engulfed in flames. They immediately put the fire out, and Garcia Jr. gave himself up, court records show. Charlie the dog was seriously burned but survived and was later put up for adoption. 

Garcia Sr. suffered second and third-degree burns to 35 percent of his body. While undergoing skin graft surgery 10 days after the incident, he died from septic shock, according to court records. 

Prosecutors accused Garcia Jr. of setting his father on fire while the dog was in his lap. In the aftermath of the incident, investigators allegedly found a bottle partially filled with acetone, a lighter, and a large machete at the scene. In July 2022, Garcia Jr. was charged with murder, cruelty to animals, and four sentencing enhancements, including torture.

Garcia Jr. pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, but court records show that two court-appointed doctors found differing results on whether the defendant was sane at the time of the incident. 

Ultimately, the jury found Garcia Jr. to be legally sane when the offense was committed.

The defendant will be sentenced in Santa Maria Superior Court Department 7 on June 6 by Judge Stephen Dunkle. Given the torture special circumstance finding, the defendant faces a mandatory term of life without the possibility of parole, according to the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office. 

“This verdict reflects exactly what justice looks like for one of the most disturbing cases our office has prosecuted,” said District Attorney John Savrnoch. 

“The jury heard the evidence and held this defendant fully accountable. A finding of first-degree murder with the torture special circumstance sends an unambiguous message that this community will not tolerate acts of extreme cruelty,” he continued. “I am deeply proud of Senior Deputy District Attorney Madison Whitmore, DA Investigator Megan Harrison, and the dedicated officers of the Lompoc Police Department whose tireless work made this result possible.”