SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - Mary Garcia's family waited more than three years for the moment, as they watched a suspect face murder charges in her death.
Felipe Villegas, 30, was arraigned Friday in the 2022 shooting death of 65-year-old Mary Garcia in Pacific Beach. Villegas is scheduled for a preliminary hearing June 30.
Two days ago, Anthony Garcia received an unexpected call from local prosecutors telling him Villegas had been extradited and was in the custody of San Diego police.
"My reaction, I broke down. It was unexpected,” Anthony Garcia said.
Anthony and his sister Julie clutched a photo of their mother as they anxiously waited outside the Central Courthouse.
"It's been 3.5 years we've been waiting for this moment. Feeling a lot of things," Anthony Garcia said in a video he recorded outside the courthouse. "Definitely ready to get the ball rolling, and for you to get your justice mom. We love you.”
Mary Garcia was found in the sand just south of Crystal Pier, shot in the head. She was taken to a hospital where she died.
Earlier that year, Mary had arrived from Northern California, determined to help her son Daniel Caldera, who was struggling with substance abuse issues and living on the streets. Anthony says she was living in a car with Caldera, trying to get him help.
"It just shows her true unconditional love. She was willing to rough it out with him if it meant he wasn't alone," Anthony Garcia said.
Initially, Caldera was charged in the case, but within a week, he was released from jail and cleared as a suspect.
As Caldera was being cleared, detectives identified Villegas as a new suspect. San Diego Police say he was arrested in Texas on unrelated charges, including aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and aggravated robbery. According to news reports, ballistics testing on his gun linked him to the Pacific Beach crime. Vargas remained in the Texas justice system, eventually serving time for his crimes there.
I first met Anthony in October 2022, shortly after Vargas had been arrested in Texas.
"It was mind-blowing and horrific, honestly," Anthony Garcia said in an interview.
In the years since, the wait for justice weighed on the family.
“I had begun to lose hope, absolutely. It's hard to keep up hope," Anthony Garcia said.
"Even in times when I felt like I didn't have the strength to continue, my siblings are what kept me going," Anthony Garcia said. Mary Garcia had 7 children.
Now, with Vargas arraigned, Anthony says the family can begin to look toward healing.
"She finally has her time, and we can finally work towards being able to heal. Also, we hope her story is not forgotten because she is somebody," Anthony Garcia said.
A GoFundMe campaign has been started to help family members travel to court hearings in San Diego.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
