Case Snapshot
Case ID: 18362
Classification: Stabbing, Poisoning
Animal: dog (non pit-bull)
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Attorneys/Judges
Prosecutor(s): Andrew Katz


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Sunday, Jul 24, 2011

County: Orange

Charges: Felony CTA, Felony Non-CTA
Disposition: Convicted

Defendant/Suspect: Jaime Arturo Garcia

Case Updates: 2 update(s) available

A Stanton man will be arraigned Wednesday on charges of trying to burn down his home and killing his dog by poisoning it and slitting its throat.

Jaime Arturo Garcia, 30, is accused of closing all the doors and windows of the home he shared with his sister July 24 and setting several small fires inside by lighting piles of clothing on fire.

The fires caused damage to cabinets in the laundry room but did not spread throughout the house, police said. His sister was not at home at the time.

After the fires burned out, Garcia allegedly poisoned his 7-year-old dog, Dexter, a dachshund mix, by feeding him various pills and then used a large kitchen knife to cut its throat, authorities say.

The bleeding dog ran around the house and into the bedroom, where he died on the defendant's bed. Garcia's sister returned home to find the house filled with smoke and called 911.

Investigators found Dexter in the bedroom and found blood from the defendant and the dog on the floors and walls throughout the home.

Garcia is charged with one felony count of arson to an inhabited property, one felony count of animal cruelty and one misdemeanor count of unlawfully causing a fire to property. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of eight years and four months in prison.

He remained behind bars on a quarter-million bail.


Case Updates

A Stanton man, Jaime Arturo Garcia, was sentenced Tuesday to five years in state prison for killing his dog by slitting its throat and for setting fires inside his home.
Source: LA Times
Update posted on May 10, 2012 - 9:10PM 
31-year-old Stanton man was convicted Thursday of setting fire to his home and poisoning his dog before slitting its throat.

Jaime Arturo Garcia pleaded guilty to one felony count of arson, one felony count of animal cruelty and one misdemeanor count of unlawfully causing a fire to property.

According to the Orange County district attorney's office, on July 24, 2011, Garcia set piles of clothing on fire inside the home he shared with his two sisters, who were gone at the time.

The fire damaged the laundry room but burned out before spreading throughout the house. Garcia then fed his 7-year-old dog various pills before taking a kitchen knife to the dog's throat. The dog, a dachshund mix, bled out around the house and died on Garcia's bed.

One of Garcia's sisters called authorities upon returning to the smoke-filled residence. Garcia was treated for self-inflicted injuries at a hospital.

Garcia is scheduled to be sentenced May 7 at the Central Justice Center in Santa Ana. He is expected to be sentenced to four years and eight months in state prison.

His conviction included a sentencing enhancement for the personal use of a deadly weapon.

The Orange County Sheriff's Department investigated, and Deputy Dist. Atty. Andrew Katz of the Special Prosecutions Unit prosecuted the case.
Source: LA Times
Update posted on May 10, 2012 - 9:07PM 

References

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