Home invasion killer: life sentence, no parole
On Thursday in Department 17 of the South County Justice Center in Porterville, the court sentenced Reyes Garcia, 47, to life in prison without the possibility of parole for a vicious 2013 double murder in Visalia.
On the morning of July 12, 2013, a caretaker arrived at the Visalia home of 58 year-old Jerry Murillo and 59 year-old Marie Rogers and discovered their bodies among the ransacked residence. The victims were beaten and stabbed with their throats slit.
Visalia Police Department officers arrived on scene moments later. Through investigation, Garcia and another man, Adrian Castillon, were identified as suspects.
Using video surveillance from neighbor’s homes, detectives confirmed the men’s presence at the crime scene. On July 13, 2013, Garcia and Castillon were apprehended on a Visalia city bus after witnesses saw them board with bags.
Further investigation revealed the men spent the night in Hanford and disposed bloody clothes in a motel dumpster. During interviews with the defendants, detectives ascertained the men knew the victims and planned to steal money and other items of value.
On January 7, Garcia pleaded guilty to one count of special circumstance first-degree murder of Rogers, and pleaded no contest to an additional count of special circumstance first-degree murder of Murillo, two counts of conspiracy to commit a crime, first-degree residential robbery, and first-degree burglary. The charges are enhanced with special allegations Reyes possesses a prior strike and other felony convictions (burglary, cultivation of marijuana), and he was on felony probation when the crimes occurred. Reyes is a convicted child molester and sex offender registrant.
Castillon also admitted his role in the crimes and was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole in September 2015.
Additionally, two women who assisted the men during and after the crime also pleaded and were sentenced in 2015: Betssy Huerta, 34, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for conspiracy and Olivia Solorzano, 30, was sentenced to more than 10 years in prison for participating in the robbery.