Juan Martin Garcia

American murderer (1980–2015)
Juan Martin Garcia
Born(1980-02-18)February 18, 1980
Harris County, Texas, U.S.
DiedOctober 6, 2015(2015-10-06) (aged 35)
Huntsville Unit, Huntsville, Texas, U.S.
Cause of deathExecution by lethal injection
Criminal statusExecuted
Conviction(s)Capital murder
Criminal penaltyDeath (June 21, 2000)
Details
VictimsHugo Solano, 36
DateSeptember 17, 1998
Allan B. Polunsky Unit houses the State of Texas death row for men.
Huntsville Unit, the location of the Texas state execution chamber.

Juan Martín García (February 18, 1980[1] – October 6, 2015) was a Texas man who was executed for capital murder.[2]

On September 17, 1998,[1] Garcia attempted to rob Hugo Solano, a 36-year old Christian missionary from Guadalajara, Mexico who had moved to Houston to provide a U.S. education for his children. Garcia, a U.S. citizen,[3] was of Salvadoran descent,[4] and his native county was Harris County.[1] Garcia, a gang member, had a history of criminal activity involving assault, making a "terroristic threat" towards a teacher, theft, and trespassing.[5]

Garcia, with three other men, did the robbery attempt at an apartment complex at the 17000 block of Cali in unincorporated Harris County.[6] He shot Solano three times after Solano refused to give him his wallet and received $8. García said that he shot Solano out of panic.[5]

Garcia, Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ)#999360, arrived on death row on June 21, 2000.[1] While on death row he was in Polunsky Unit. He was executed at Huntsville Unit,[7] on October 6, 2015. Garcia apologized to Ana Solano, Garcia's widow, and her daughter before he was executed.[5] He was the 11th death row prisoner to be executed in Texas in 2015.[8]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Garcia, Juan Martin." Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Retrieved on February 20, 2016.
  2. ^ "Last Statement Juan Garcia #999360." Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Retrieved on February 20, 2016.
  3. ^ "Citizenship of Offenders on Death Row." Texas Department of Criminal Justice. October 11, 2011. Retrieved on February 20, 2016. "(Any death row offender not listed here is an American Citizen)" - Since Garcia, alive at the time, was not listed here, he was a U.S. citizen
  4. ^ "Texas ejecuta a salvadoreño por el asesinato de un misionero mexicano." La Prensa Grafica. October 8, 2015. Retrieved on February 20, 2016.
  5. ^ a b c Miller, Michael E. "With his last words, a killer apologized to his victim’s widow. Could she forgive him?" Washington Post. October 7, 2015. Retrieved on February 20, 2016.
  6. ^ "Houston man executed in 1998 robbery, slaying of missionary." Tuesday October 6, 2015. Retrieved on February 20, 2016.
  7. ^ "Death row facts." Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Retrieved on February 20, 2016.
  8. ^ Sonawane, Vishakha. "Texas Executes Juan Martin Garcia For Killing Christian Missionary Hugo Solano In $8 Robbery." International Business Tribune. October 7, 2015. Retrieved on February 20, 2016.