Police suspect gang ties led to brawl, slaying
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12:45 a.m. - Police respond to a fight at Club Kaliente, 1706 Houston Highway. Victim Jason Rene Garcia leaves the bar after talking to police.
Sometime between 12:45 a.m. and 2:15 a.m. - Garcia goes to Hide-a-Way a bar at ...
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12:45 a.m. - Police respond to a fight at Club Kaliente, 1706 Houston Highway. Victim Jason Rene Garcia leaves the bar after talking to police.
Sometime between 12:45 a.m. and 2:15 a.m. - Garcia goes to Hide-a-Way a bar at 1807 Stolz Street. The three men charged with killing him pick up Garcia there.
2:15 a.m. - A caller to 911 reports Garcia's body is lying in front of Magic Industries 2308 South Laurent Street.
The timeline before Jason Rene Garcia's body was found in a parking lot on Aug. 23 includes a quinceanera, a brawl and a stop at another bar.
Police think the three men charged in his death - David Francisco Barron and brothers Rolando and Marcus Pena - are also members of the Mexican Mafia. The trio was arrested by a team of police, Department of Public Safety troopers and federal marshals in Corpus Christi on Saturday afternoon, Police Chief Bruce Ure said.
"Unbelievable," Ure said, thumbing through the arrest warrant affidavits that detail the police theory of what happened that night.
Garcia was friends with the men who killed him, Ure said. In fact, he may have attended a quinceanera for Rolando Pena's stepdaughter the evening before he died.
It's certain Garcia, Marcus Pena and David Barron were at Club Kaliente later that night, Ure said. Garcia, 24, saw another friend at the bar, an 18-year-old man.
When Garcia introduced the men, Pena and Barron attacked the teen, cutting him with broken bottles, Ure said.
"We're not sure what the conflict was about," Ure said. "Apparently, there was a problem with someone in the Mexican Mafia."
The fight, Ure said, was just short of a deadly brawl.
Pena and Barron left before police got to the club at 1706 Houston Highway, Ure said.
Garcia spoke with police when they arrived around 12:45 a.m.
Joe Torres, the owner of Kaliente, said last week that Garcia left the bar alone.
He went to Hide-a-Way, a bar just a couple of blocks away, Ure said.
Barron and the Pena brothers picked up Garcia from that bar, Ure said.
He's not sure if Garcia was forced into the car or if he left on his own. But an earlier warrant charged Barron with kidnapping a man from the parking lot of Margarita's bar on July 18, stealing his wallet, his jewelry and his truck, and beating him.
About 2:15 a.m., someone called 911 and reported Garcia's body was laying in front of 2308 South Laurent Street. Garcia's jewelry, clothing, phone and wallet were stolen, Ure said.
"They took everything he had," Ure said.
Police identified Barron, 26, Marcus Pena, 24 and Rolando Pena, 25, soon after the body was found, Ure said. But their suspected gang ties made the investigation tricky.
"Our investigators have worked, literally, around the clock," Ure said. Nearly every detective in the department worked on the investigation. Assistant district attorney Eli Garza aided the investigation, Ure said, so he is confident there will be strong evidence for prosecution.
The suspects planned to disappear into Mexico and were in Corpus Christi awaiting the right time, Ure said.
They were arrested in Rolando Pena's light-colored Cadillac. The car is being searched for evidence in a DPS lab, Ure said.
"That's the vehicle the victim took his last ride in," Ure said.
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Hello everyone,
I would just like to say....it is a terrible tragedy that Jason was killed in such a gruesome way and I feel for his family. It is extremely sad that hispanic people kill each other(raza kills raza)over the most stupid reasons! I know how it feels... my uncle was also involved in a gang and was murdered in 2005. It was a terrible loss for my family...
September 8, 2009 at 3:13 p.m.I honestly don't know when these rival acts of violence will end....
Remember that evil is in this world... whether the person is Hispanic, Caucasion, African American-it doesn't matter. The devil uses everyone for his wicked purposes. Evil is universal. This world is of the devil-therefore it is evil.
Please my CAUCASION friends do not judge my people...please do not stereotype them-they r not all murderers.
I really do not think the geographical origins of a person matters if he/she is a murderer...A person can be just as deadly in Mexico, United States, Europe,China, wherever...
Please do not turn this incident into a racial matter....
This terrible crime was commited by lost souls...
Jesus came into this world to save us-not condemn us. Remember that.
I also have to forgive the man who killed my uncle...I have to forgive my aunt who tried to kill me...
Love not hate-
love dont judge-
nobody is perfect in this world.
I also knew Jason-he went to school with me,
I also know David. I've known him since we were teenagers. Please forgive him. His judgement and punishment will be decided and granted by the Lord in Heaven who sees all.
David has commited many sins, but hey, so have we...
May God have mercy on all of us.
good job VPD!rip jason
September 4, 2009 at 3:20 p.m.I find it difficult to believe that members of a gang would have any friends who would miss them if they were to be killed. When a person choses a life of crime, neither he nor his friends should be too surprised when he doesn't live to a ripe old age and dies of natural causes.
September 3, 2009 at 12:31 p.m.Correction - not family, read it wrong. Good luck to your friends.
September 3, 2009 at 10:08 a.m.Bigmamma - that is not something I would be proud of saying in a public forum. Good luck to your family. I hope they get what they deserve.
September 3, 2009 at 10:05 a.m.yall all need to chill off this case already. they were all friends of me and my family ya they did very wrong but they are were they are now. so drop it and stop tlkinga bout it and to get the record straight they were all leagl so stop saying otherwise. you heard
September 3, 2009 at 9 a.m.There is a great need for a sarcasm font......
September 2, 2009 at 11:15 a.m.BIGJ..thank you for reaching out to helovesme..that was really sweet :)
September 2, 2009 at 11:08 a.m.jtj..good job in pointing out the obvious to the persons on here who have a one track mind lol
Come on people this story is about gangs not immigration!Go find another story to rant about
September 2, 2009 at 10:41 a.m.Gangs Suck.
September 2, 2009 at 9:34 a.m.just because i said I'm friends with these guys doesn't mean I'm living a bad life, I'm a single mother of 4
September 1, 2009 at 9:51 p.m.wonderful kids i attend the Victoria college getting a degree in nursing an I'm very proud of myself i must say .these guys yes are my friends an like i have said before im glad they got caught I'm glad they will be in jail for the rest of their life's for what they did because Jason who is also my friend didn't deserve to have that done to him David ,Roland,and Marcus will have to live with the fact that they took a son,brother an friend out of this world i guess to end this i will have to say that no matter friend or not i do hope they do get life for what they did!
Helovesme...I sure hope you take to heart what you just said and run as fast as you can if you have anymore "friends" like those guys. Here's hoping you'll make better choices...growing up friends or not. Good people do not do what those boys did. That behavior has been years in the making. Go for a better life!
September 1, 2009 at 8:49 p.m.freedom of the press, freedom of speech, the censors of the socialist VA do not let these rights exist if they say a fact about illegal immigration. even the leftist Austin UnAmerican let statements like these be read. Victoria, yall are in trouble. my statements were not delted by myself, beliver me. Texas Patriot .308. Long live a FREE AMERICA!!
September 1, 2009 at 8:48 p.m.When you jump people, attack them with broken beer bottles, hunt them down, kidnap them, beat them to death & dump the body like a bag of trash....I would find it hard to describe them as "good people".
September 1, 2009 at 8:29 p.m.Jack Deuce
yeah maybe i do need new friends but its kinda hard when you grew up with them..they are good people really but they made VERY VERY VERY BAD choices an in the end they will get what they deserve an thats it end of story!
September 1, 2009 at 3:49 p.m.was thinking the same thing... great friend
September 1, 2009 at 1:18 p.m.all from victoria
September 1, 2009 at 12:37 p.m.were these guys from victoria or corpus christi? anyone know?
September 1, 2009 at 12:30 p.m.its crazy how it came up that there illegal immigrants just cause they wanted to go to Mexico !first off to get it correct they are all u.s. citizens
i know all of them I'm not saying that its right with they did they do belong where there at right now an i do hope justices is served but get things right if comments are going to be posted
rip jason he was also one of my friends!!!
September 1, 2009 at 12:18 p.m.Heyyy!!! Who took my comment off???? I did not offend anybody. Just told the truth, 99 years babyy.
September 1, 2009 at 12:12 p.m.mAN YOU GUYS HAVE MANAGED TO TURN A MURDER STORY INTO SOME RACIAL DRIVE AGAINST ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION ,YOU GUYS ARE GOOD.
September 1, 2009 at 11:07 a.m.john wrote: "if they have to pay for it; won't they be more likely to eliminate the causes of illegal immigration?"
Bingo! This could be accomplished by garnishing the international aid the US sends to Mexico every year, plus add a monetary transfer tax on all wire transfers into Mexico. Set the tax/garnishment at a level needed to reimburse the US for all the criminal prosecution of illegals plus the cost of patroling the border and other items meant to curb illegal immigration (ie: the fence, INS administration, etc).
September 1, 2009 at 9:32 a.m.We don't charge other countries for incarcerating their nationals that have come here illegally, why? Couldn't we just take it out of the money we "give" them each year. Money talks, bs walks, if they have to pay for it; won't they be more likely to eliminate the causes of illegal immigration?
September 1, 2009 at 9:16 a.m.you must mean "Mexicans" not Hispanics.. right????
September 1, 2009 at 7:41 a.m.Rolando Pena is 25...they were at his step-daughters quincenara...isn't that for 15yr olds? Either the wifey is a ittle long in the tooth for him or she was a baby when she had one....off topic I know...just stuck out at me.
August 31, 2009 at 10:46 p.m.great job here !
August 31, 2009 at 9:44 p.m.Funny...someone mentioned the MM being involoved in this on the 1st story & the comment was deleted.
August 31, 2009 at 7:59 p.m.They are all legal.
Good job VPD!
August 31, 2009 at 7:39 p.m.