A jury has convicted a Santa Barbara County man, Joseph Ashley Garcia, of first-degree murder, with special circumstances, after he set his father on fire.
Lompoc Police responded to reports of a domestic dispute in June of 2022.
The 38-year-old man refused to let officers into the home. As they forced their way into the house, they heard Joseph Michael Garcia screaming because his upper body was on fire. He died 10 days later in a hospital.
The son’s attorney tried to use an insanity defense. But this week, a jury rejected the defense claims and found the younger Garcia was legally sane at the time of the crime.
He’s facing a mandatory life without the possibility of parole, with sentencing set for June.
