Karen Garcia killer sentenced
Salvador Vaca- Garcia Jr. was arrested in
YUBA COUNTY » Nearly three years after Colusa resident Karen Garcia’s family reported her missing, her ex- boyfriend has been sentenced in her killing.
Salvador Vaca- Garcia Jr., Garcia’s ex- boyfriend and father of her child, pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter, use of a firearm during commission of a felony, kidnapping and first degree felony robbery. He also pleaded guilty to a domestic violence charge from 2017, according to the Colusa County Superior Court.
The 24- year- old was sentenced to 25 years in prison, in addition to the 604 days ’ 19 he has already served, according to the Marysville Appeal- Democrat.
“These 3 years have been long and hurtful,” a post on the Justice for Karen Facebook page — which is run by a former neighbor of Garcia’s, Linda Quintero, — read. “This sentence feels light compared to the heavy heart we carry when we think of Karen. We hope his time in prison will bring peace to her family and friends. Thank you all for the shares and support throughout this ordeal.”
After her disappearance, a joint investigation into her whereabouts was initiated and involved police from Colusa and Williams, the Colusa County District Attorney’s Office and the Colusa County Sheriff’s Office, according to Colusa Police Chief Joshua Fitch. A search warrant served at the residence the couple once shared on the 400- block of Oak St. in Colusa “revealed evidence of a homicide.”
Although he had participated in efforts to find Karen and even given TV interviews, Salvador was identified as a suspect in her death before he left the country.
Garcia’s body was found in her parked vehicle in the CVS and Marshall’s parking lot in Woodland on Jan. 14, 2018 — just five days after she was reported missing, and one week after her sister, Jessica and a car full of friends were killed in a wrong- way driver collision on Interstate 5 north of Woodland.
The Yolo County Coroner’s Office reported her cause of death to be blunt force trauma to the head.
Police had located a stolen vehicle from Williams in Mexico near Tijuana in October 2018, which they believe Vaca- Garcia Jr. had stolen and used to flee the country. The U. S. Marshals immediately contacted local authorities.
The Riverside Police Department, Sacramento County District Attorney Office, Government of Mexico Fiscalia General de Jalisco- Grupo De Ordenes y Apprensiones and the Instituto Nacional de Migracion assisted in the search. VacaGarcia Jr. was arrested by U. S. Marshals in Guadalajara, Mexico nearly a year and a half later after her body was found.