Matt Garcia News Blog

Pressure mounts to catch councilman's killer

By Ben Antonius | Daily Republic | September 10, 2008 18:42

FAIRFIELD - Police on Wednesday acknowledged they are starting to feel community pressure in their investigation of the slaying of Councilman Matt Garcia.

Although police expressed high hopes following the doubling of the reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction, the ninth day of the investigation passed with neither an arrest nor any new suspect information.

'There's nothing (new),' said Officer Becky Belk, a spokeswoman for the department.

A tip line has been specifically established for the Garcia case. The state has offered $50,000 for information, and Solano County has offered another $50,000. The Fairfield City Council is expected to add yet another $50,000 at its Sept. 16 meeting.

'I feel confident that it will be solved,' Belk said. 'It's a tip away from being solved.'

Garcia, 22, was fatally shot the night of Sept. 1 in front of the Cordelia Villages home of Jennifer Tarbell, whom police have described as a 'cooperating witness' in the case.

However, Belk said the dark street prevented Tarbell from identifying the suspect. Belk added that the description of the suspect has not been enough to produce a composite sketch.

Investigators have yet to determine a motive, Belk said.

Belk noted that speakers at Garcia's funeral Tuesday afternoon -- including his grandmother, Chris Garcia -- exhorted investigators to find his killer.

'As time goes on, I am sure the pressure will increase,' Belk said.

Police have said they have more than 100 people working on the case and are receiving assistance from the FBI, the state Department of Justice and nearby law enforcement agencies.

However, statements by police in the case have typically been only terse statements that investigators are 'working diligently' and 'following up on leads.'

Police Chief Kenton Rainey declined Wednesday to comment on the case, referring any questions to Belk.

'I don't think I have anything to add,' Rainey said.

Police have released only a vague description of the suspect in the shooting: a light-skinned black or Hispanic male in his late teens to early 20s, about 5-foot-9 with a medium build.

The department is at its highest staffing level on the street, Belk said. Specialists have been brought in from agencies that have expertise dealing with high-profile investigations, she added.

Asked whether family members were getting frustrated with the pace of the investigation, a spokesman for Garcia's family said before the funeral Tuesday that they support the investigation.

'They have not expressed any frustration,' spokesman Ron Marlette said. 'They believe in the city's police department and its chief.'

Reach Ben Antonius at 427-6977 or bantonius@dailyrepublic.net.

Fulfilling councilman's dream is theme of emotional service

FAIRFIELD - Matt Garcia died with his work unfinished.

The consistent message among the speakers at the young councilman's funeral Tuesday afternoon was of a legacy -- that the community should continue Garcia's work to completion.

'Youth against youth was Matt's biggest challenge and now it's our challenge,' said speaker Nicole Terrell, chairwoman of the Fairfield Youth Commission, which was handpicked by Garcia. 'We must learn to save ourselves and others because we all live in this community together.'

A crowd of more than 2,000 gathered at Armijo High School for a funeral that began with Garcia's casket being brought in by a half-dozen firefighters and ended with family members releasing doves.

The two-hour celebration of life ceremony included comments by several politicians, two pastors and eight members of Garcia's family. The crowd filled the field and bleachers in the school's football stadium and spilled into the gymnasium.

Family members arrived in a procession that included a fire engine bearing the casket, limousines and more than 50 cars. The casket bore two custom license plates, 'MG707FF' from Garcia's pickup truck and 'FFINEST' from the councilman's beloved Cadillac CTS.

Following the public funeral, the procession went to Fairmont Memorial Park for a private ceremony, family spokesman Ron Marlette said.

During his brief political career, Garcia focused on resolving the problems that drove young people to crime and violence. Stepfather Raymond Courtemanche, who raised Garcia since childhood, played a video of Garcia passionately addressing a room of teenagers, telling them that he understood their concerns.

'Are we going to leave a legacy?' Courtemanche asked the crowd.

Garcia, 22, was fatally shot Sept. 1 while visiting a home in Cordelia Villages. No arrests have been made in the case.

'We can ask our God why, but I am not sure there is an acceptable answer,' said state Sen. Mike Machado, D-Linden. 'But we can carry on his work. We can continue to be a beacon like he was for young people.'

Machado noted that the state Senate adjourned a recent meeting in Garcia's honor. Other speakers said the same had been done in the state Assembly, the U.S. Senate and the House.

Garcia's two sisters each spoke briefly, both noting their brother's love of the spotlight, the huge crowd and numerous dignitaries gathered in his honor.

'He will be remembered forever and that is the way he wanted it,' Tearae Garcia said.

On a day when the reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the case was increased to $100,000, Garcia's grandmother, Chris Garcia, pleaded for someone to come forward in the case.

Asking whether anyone in the crowd knew the shooter, Chris Garcia said she had a message to pass to him.

'I don't have hate in my heart, I just want to put some closure in my life,' she said. 'I just want to ask him face to face, 'Why did you kill my grandson?''

Garcia's cousin, Mike Garcia, expressed a sentiment that other relatives have said they share, that Garcia's death was particularly painful because the family had such high hopes for him.

'A lot of you are here for Matt Garcia the councilman, but I am here for Matt Garcia my cousin, the little man with a dream,' Mike Garcia said.

Remembering Matt Garcia in Multimedia

Hi All -

This is post was created to allow people to comment on the words, pictures and sounds that make up the Remembering Matt Garcia Multimedia Package . Please feel free to leave remembrances about Matt and/or feedback about the project in the comments section of this post.

We are also interested in knowing what else could be included in future online presentations about Matt Garcia, so please feel free to contact the web team at

drphotos a dailyrepublic dot com

We are still seeking  photos and videos of Matt so that we can continue to share his life story with our readers.

I would like to thank the members of the DR newsroom who contributed to this piece : Ben Antonius, Cecil Conley, Mike Greener and Brad Zweerink

Finally, this project would have never been possible without the help and kindness of : The Garcia Family, The Courtemanche Family, Gary Falati, Chuck Timm, and the other friends and family of Matt who so graciously opened their lives to us in the difficult time.

Thank you and keep the dream alive -

Chris Jordan
senior producer
Daily Republic Multimedia Team

Garcia infused community with radiant personality, endless energy

By Ben Antonius | Daily Republic | September 08, 2008 19:11

FAIRFIELD - Ask about Matt Garcia and the word 'star' is mentioned quite a bit.

To his family, a shooting star. To the kids at David Weir Elementary School, a rock star. To his uncle and Little League baseball coach, he had to be an all-star.

'He had to be,' Marty Garcia recalled. 'He had to be in the limelight. He put everything he had into everything he did.'

Thousands are expected to gather tonight at Armijo High School to mourn Matt Garcia, whose meteoric, 10-month rise to prominence in the city ended Sept. 1 when the 22-year-old councilman was fatally shot while visiting a friend in Cordelia Villages.

Even when Garcia was young, his family said he showed the characteristics -- sociability, ambition and an almost unmanageable energy level -- that would come to define him as an adult and city councilman.

'He would get 'outstanding' (on his report card) just for the person that he was, but we had to calm him down,' said his mother, Theresa Courtemanche. 'He was always going, going, going, going, running, talking, playing.'

Those close to him unanimously recalled that he was always going somewhere, always meeting someone, always on one of his two phones. After his 2007 election, his schedule accelerated even more.

'It was hard for me not to spend as much time with him because he had his obligations,' said uncle Mark Garcia, his voice cracking. 'But he called me about a month ago and he said, 'Uncle Mark, you don't think I have time for you anymore, but I do.''

His youthful enthusiasm stood out on the City Council, where he worked mostly with people twice his age.

'He probably would call me eight to 10 times a day with some idea he just had,' City Manager Sean Quinn said. 'Especially on Monday mornings. He had three days of ideas.'

Risk worth the reward

Although the consequences would not be apparent for years to come, Garcia faced a major life crisis as a middle school student.

When he arrived at Valley Middle School, he was considered an 'at risk' student. He had friends in leadership classes at school and church, as well as friends involved in crime and gangs.

'You could see that struggle of 'I want out of this, but if I do I'm going to lose my friends,'' said Cathy Pickett, his eighth-grade science teacher and head of the Club Live program. 'He talked about it publicly to our kids, that between his seventh- and eighth-grade years he got into a lot of trouble over the summer and realized that it's not worth it, it is not me.'

At home, like at school, Garcia had some family influences pushing him toward serving his community and others pushing him another direction.

'We weren't all perfect citizens, let's put it that way,' Marty Garcia said. 'He saw some of his family members go to jail, have problems with drugs and he thought, 'I can rise above this.''

Garcia made the choice with enough conviction to sway leaders of his church to make him the youngest participant on an annual service trip to Mexico. Most attendees were juniors and seniors in high school, pastor Tony Tiemann said, but organizers usually included a younger 'potential leader.'

'He knew he had to make a decision which way to go and he was choosing to go a better direction,' Tiemann said.

'A part of something'

As he reached Armijo High School, Garcia the city councilman started to emerge.

He had long told friends and relatives that he would one day be elected mayor of Fairfield, said friend Scott Siordia, but it wasn't until high school that it started to register what that would actually mean.

'He wanted change,' Siordia said. 'And I think that was kind of the time he saw how much work it would take to actually make the changes.'

In 2003, Garcia had a meeting with baseball coach Marcus Franco to ask whether Franco could find a roster spot for him. Franco recalled being curious why Garcia would want to join the team -- a group that ranks among the best in school history -- when Garcia was unlikely to see any playing time.

'I think he just wanted to be a part of something big,' said friend and teammate Mike Engell, who persuaded Franco to include Garcia. 'He was always trying to be a part of something.'

Meanwhile, Garcia started telling his own story. He visited Green Valley Middle School and David Weir Elementary to try to reach students in situations similar to his.

'I think he wanted to make a change in his life and for everyone else, so people didn't have to go through the same stuff he did,' Engell said.

Setting an example

As political opportunities go, Garcia did not seem to pick a particularly good one by entering the City Council race.

With no money and few professional contacts, he joined a large field of candidates that included an incumbent vice mayor. For all his energy and popularity, the then-20-year-old started his campaign with plenty of supporters but few believers.

'I thought 'This kid's got no chance,'' said Gary Falati, a former mayor who would become one of Garcia's closest mentors.

'I discouraged him. I said 'Mijo, you're too young,'' recalled his grandmother, Chris Garcia. 'I was afraid his feelings would get hurt.'

But as Garcia stuck with it, he gained powerful backers in Falati, Councilman John Mraz and the family of developer and philanthropist Billy Yarbrough.

His passion for the city was part of the charm that eventually won them over. Mraz recounted a time that Garcia, ashamed he had not bought his car in Fairfield, tried to get Fairfield Chevrolet to sell him a license plate holder.

'For Matt, nothing was too good for Fairfield,' said Yarbrough's son-in-law, Anthony Russo, who added that he and his wife Debra came to regard Garcia as a son. 'He thought we needed a Catholic school, so he called the bishop in Sacramento and said, 'Bishop, you need a Catholic high school in Fairfield, how do we do it?''

Those close to Garcia said his violent death not only stunned them, but also prompted a round of frustrated soul-searching.

Franco, the baseball coach, now teaches ninth- and 10th-grade algebra at Costa Mesa High School. He said he had a spare week at the start of his semester before he got into the regular curriculum and decided to talk to his students about values.

'This week we talked about the value of sacrifice, of discipline, of work ethic and being a part of something bigger than yourself,' Franco said Thursday. 'I have a 16-by-20 photo of that (2003) team from Armijo in my classroom. Matt is sitting Indian-style on the bottom row and I said, 'This kid right here was the exemplification of these values I'm talking to you about. He had a fork in the road, just like all of you, and Matt chose to take the right path.''

Reach Ben Antonius at 427-6977 or bantonius@dailyrepublic.net.

Councilman goes back to school one last time

By Ben Antonius | Daily Republic | September 08, 2008 19:12

FAIRFIELD - As the city prepared to bid an emotional farewell to Matt Garcia, police on Monday released no new information on the death of the 22-year-old councilman.

A press conference was planned for today but was not expected to include any major developments in the case, Deputy Police Chief Paul Bockrath said Monday. Police last held a news conference on their investigation Friday.

City officials were still scrambling Monday as thousands of people prepare to descend on Armijo High School today for Garcia's funeral service at 4 p.m. Garcia graduated from Armijo High in 2004 and was vice president of his graduating class.

Under a plan announced Sunday night, attendees will be directed to several parking lots in the area and police will close Washington Street between Louisiana Street -- formerly called Tennessee Street -- in the north and Texas Street in the south.

The main entrance will be through the gates near the Armijo High tennis courts. Once seating in the stadium is filled, the gymnasium will be used for overflow seating. The service will be shown live on a monitor in the gym.

A plan to televise the service live on city-run Channel 26 appeared unlikely as of press time. Fire Marshal Morgana Yahnke, a spokeswoman for the service, said city and Comcast officials had been trying unsuccessfully to establish a live feed at the stadium.

The city said disabled people, the elderly, families with small children and anyone with health issues is encouraged to request gymnasium seating. The service is expected to last 90 minutes to two hours.

Garcia was fatally shot outside a Cordelia Villages home on Sept. 1. He was declared legally brain dead the following day at John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek. To allow for organ donation, his body was kept on life support until Friday morning.

Officials have said the suspect was a light-skilled black or Hispanic man, medium build and about 5-foot-9. He fled in a mid-sized, American-made sedan.

Armijo High will have a minimum day today to accommodate the service. Students will be released at 12:39 p.m., but the campus will not be reopened for the service until 3 p.m.

Evening adult school classes will also not be held at Armijo High, although classes will still be held at the main campus on Civic Center Drive. All offices for the city of Fairfield will close at 3 p.m. today.

Reach Ben Antonius at 427-6977 or bantonius@dailyrepublic.net.

Silverado ceremony held for Garcia

September 07, 2008

By Ben Antonius

Daily Republic

FAIRFIELD - A crowd of more than 200 crowded Silverado Drive this afternoon for a ceremony to 'cleanse' the spot where City Councilman Matt Garcia was fatally shot on Sept. 1.

The brief ceremony was led by four local pastors and drew a crowd of young and old, including members of Garcia's family and residents of the neighborhood where the shooting occurred.

'We come together this day to reclaim this space as a place of life,' said Pastor Dennis Murphy. 'This place where violence occurred we are reclaiming as a place of life. This place that causes us fear, anger and pain, we are reclaiming as a place of hope and community.'

Clock already ticking on filling Garcia’s seat

September 6, 2008

By Ben Antonius
Daily Republic
FAIRFIELD — Councilman Matt Garcia’s funeral has yet to be held and Fairfield is already one-sixth of the way through its time to find his successor.
State law allows only 30 days for a city council to fill a vacant seat, a relatively short time frame that councilmembers say puts them in the difficult position of having to deal with the issue quicker than they would like.
“It is sad to start saying this because Matt’s not even buried yet,” Councilman John Mraz said.
Garcia’s legal time of death was Tuesday morning, which started a clock ticking on the decision. By the time his funeral and celebration of life service is held on Tuesday, nearly a quarter of the time will have elapsed.
The council has until Oct. 2 to appoint someone to serve the rest of Garcia’s term or to call a special election to fill the seat.
The City Council will likely have to hold a special meeting to discuss the issue, City Manager Sean Quinn said. Quinn expects a meeting date to be announced at some point after the celebration of life services are held for Garcia on Tuesday.
“The council has been told what the legal requirements are,” Quinn said.
Garcia, 22, was fatally shot outside a Cordelia Villages home Monday night. He was pronounced legally brain dead early Tuesday at John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek. To allow for organ donation, his body was kept on life support until Friday morning.
Local councils have faced similar decisions several times in recent years, although under less tragic circumstances. The councils have each time opted against special elections, which take longer to fill the seat and can be costly.
Most recently, the Vacaville City Council tapped a member of its Community Services Commission as its newest councilman. Curtis Hunt was appointed in May to replace Steve Hardy who abruptly resigned a month earlier to take a job with the state.
In 2005, the Fairfield City Council faced a vacancy following the felony conviction and sentencing of then-Councilman John English. However, the sentencing occurred only months before English was up for re-election and the council elected to leave the seat open.
Unlike the English situation, Garcia was only nine months into his four-year term. Mraz initially proposed honoring Garcia by leaving the young councilman’s seat open until the November 2009 election, but was informed that state law prohibits doing so, he said.
In 2001, the Fairfield City Council went the appointment route to fill a seat vacated when then-Councilwoman Karin MacMillan was elected mayor. 
Although the council hasn’t started to discuss specific candidates, Mraz fumed that others have already approached him to express interest in the seat.
“I’ve got to tell you, anyone we appoint has to be someone that Matt would approve of,” he said.
Reach Ben Antonius at 427-6977 or bantonius@dailyrepublic.net.

Youth Center to be Renamed for Garcia

By Ben Antonius
Daily Republic
FAIRFIELD — The city’s soon-to-open youth center will be renamed in honor of slain Councilman Matt Garcia, who dedicated his brief political career to youth issues.
City leaders made the announcement at a press conference Friday afternoon with a family member of the center’s current namesake, late philanthropist Billy G. Yarbrough.
“It is absolutely the right thing to do,” said Yarbrough’s son-in-law, Anthony Russo, who spoke on behalf of the family. “The kids of this community need to remember (Garcia) every day when they go to that center.”
Garcia, 22, was fatally shot outside a Cordelia Villages home Monday night. He was pronounced legally brain dead early Tuesday at John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek. To allow for organ donation, his body was kept on life support until Friday morning, according to a nursing supervisor.
Yarbrough died in July following a long illness. Over the years, Yarbrough and his wife, Louise, donated 18 acres for the Fairfield Expos baseball team, built the Octo Inn Soccer complex and contributed to the Fairfield Center for Creative Arts, high school athletic fields and the skate park in Allan Witt Park.
“He contributed a lot of money and time to the kids of this city,” Councilman John Mraz said of Yarbrough in announcing the name change.
The name will be formally changed from the Billy G. Yarbrough Youth Center to the Matt Garcia Teen Center before the facility opens in early October, City Manager Sean Quinn said.
A funeral and celebration of life service for Garcia is scheduled for 4 p.m. Tuesday at Armijo High School, where Garcia graduated in 2004. A video broadcast will be available in Armijo High’s gymnasium.
The school will have a minimum day Tuesday, with students being released at 12:39 p.m., to accommodate the service, the Fairfield-Suisun School District announced Friday.
The campus will be then closed until gates open for the service at 3 p.m. All city offices will also close at 3 p.m.
Yarbrough’s family members were strong supporters of Garcia’s 2007 campaign for City Council.
“We were devastated by his loss,” Russo said. “The youth of this community are devastated, too.”
Police are awaiting autopsy results in the shooting, investigators said Friday. Asked whether police are any closer to making an arrest or are zeroing in on a suspect, Lt. Bob Bunting simply replied, “No.”
“We’re still taking tips and ask the public . . . to call in with any information they may have regarding this investigation,” he said.
A tip line has been established specifically for the Garcia case at 428-7790.
Reach Ben Antonius at 427-6977 or bantonius@dailyrepublic.net.

Hundreds mourn Garcia’s passing

By Jess Sullivan
and Ben Antonius
Daily Republic
FAIRFIELD — It was not a night for speeches or words. In a cool dimly lit church friends, neighbors and community members grieved and prayed three days after the slaying of Fairfield City Councilman Matt Garcia.

Hundreds of people gathered at the Parkway Community Church on Thursday evening. Within an hour after the start of the prayer gathering, the crowd overflowed the church into the parking lot.

Inside, people hugged each other, sat silently with heads bowed in prayer, exchanged memories of the 22-year old community leader and offered quiet condolences to each other. Scores of people penned their thoughts on cards leaving them for Garcia’s family in the first of four events honoring Garcia.

Garcia’s father, Raymond Courtemanche, spoke briefly to the crowd as a recurring series of photographs of Garcia was displayed on nearby walls interspersed with Bible verses and affirmations.

“Pray for Matt’s family,” one statement read. “Strength as they grieve. . . Hope as they suffer the loss. . . Faith as they question ‘why?’. . . Patience as they long for justice.”

Earlier in the day police repeated a plea for tips in the shooting and offered no new information about their investigation.

A special tip line has been established for the case at 428-7790. Rewards of as much as $50,000 are available for anyone with information leading to an arrest in the case.

“We are asking anyone who might have information, no matter how small it might seem, to call our tip line,” Cpl. Kathryn Scarrott said.

Garcia, 22, was shot outside a Cordelia Villages home on Monday night and was pronounced brain dead Tuesday morning. His family on Wednesday released the slain councilman’s body to organ donation teams at John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek.

Garcia’s desire to have his organs donated was well-known among family members, said family spokesman Ron Marlette.

“Matt wanted that done,” Marlette said. “I would guess he would want it to spur more donors.”
A “moment of blessing” prayer service is planned for 3 p.m. Sunday at the site of the shooting at 5000 Silverado Drive, Rev. David Isom said.

The “brief but powerful service” will be open to anyone, Isom said.

“It is reclaiming the place where the tragedy happened as a place of peace,” Isom said. “So the last thing that happened wasn’t a murder, it was a prayer."

Matt Garcia's Obituary

Matt Garcia

July 14, 1986 — September 2, 2008
Somewhere in the city of Fairfield, and in the minds of all those who knew him, Matt Garcia’s legacy lives on, a constant reminder to keep his dream alive.
Matt, who was taken from our community on September 2, 2008, at the age of 22, was one of the greatest visionaries of the county, leading a dedicated life to the community and ultimately becoming City Councilman and Honorary Mayor of Fairfield before his untimely death.
He took his ideas of creating unity, hope and purpose into the public and they embraced it, supporting his dream of bridging a gap between diverse audiences and encouraging our youth toward a better future.
Matt, also known as “Mammo” to his family, developed his interest in helping people from a very young age. As a youth and member of Parkway Community Church’s youth programs, Quest and High Life, he traveled to Mexico to build homes as well as participated in the Bread of Life Food Reach.   
Ambition led Matt to become the President of Green Valley Middle School during 8th grade while tackling the role of Conflict Manager. He was on the Baseball Varsity team at Armijo High School as a junior student, became the Vice President of his senior class, participated in leadership, and donned the title of Homecoming King and Prom King.
After graduation, his quest to promote the youth continued. He worked as a substitute physical education teacher, a detention substitute and became Principal of the Day at several high schools.
Before long, his purpose and passion to create a better environment for young and old alike came to fruition. In November 2007, Matt took on the role of becoming Fairfield’s youngest City Councilman, a role he cherished and appreciated with great respect.
Matt’s open-hearted persona and beaming smile warmed the hearts of all, embracing the world and assuring every listener of his devotion to the community and its programs.
He spent and lived his life in Fairfield, always surrounded by love, family and tender moments. He was generous, supportive, energetic and full of hope, always providing unconditional love to those who knew him. Matt was a shining star in the community, a light that will never go dim.
Through the support of his family and the community, his dreams for a better future with varied youth programs will continue through the development of the Matt Garcia Keep the Dream Alive Foundation.
“Our family is committed to keeping the dream alive with Matt’s vision, passion, enthusiasm and commitment to the community,” said his father, Raymond Courtemanche.
Matt is survived by his parents, Raymond and Teresa Courtemanche; father, Matt Garcia; sisters, Briana and Tearae; brother, Joseph; grandmothers, Chris Garcia, Anne Taylor and Rita Courtemanche; uncles and their wives, Mike and Robin Garcia, Marty and Allyson Garcia, and Mark and Maria Garcia; aunt, Tonya; uncle, Terry Taylor; and numerous aunts, uncles and cousins.
A Mass will be held in Matt’s name at 9 a.m. Sunday at Holy Spirit Catholic Church and at 3 p.m., a “Moment of Blessing” prayer service will be held at 5000 Silverado Drive in Fairfield. A community viewing will be held from 5-9 p.m. Monday at Liberty Christian Center, 2641 N. Texas St., Fairfield; and a “Keep the Dream Alive” Celebration of Life Memorial will be held at Armijo High School, 824 Washington St., Fairfield on Tuesday at 4 p.m. Followed by a private family committal at Fairmont Memorial Park.
A Memorial Fund has been established at First Bank in Fairfield, 2407 Waterman Blvd. Donations can be made to the Matt Garcia Memorial Fund.