My best friend was with this dude (the shooter) when we were teens, and I always told her she needed to move on.
Dude isn't 23 though....he's 26.
http://www.mercurynews.com/bay-area-news/ci_15649949?source=rss
San Jose: Family recovering from shooting that wounded two brothers
By Mark Gomez
[email protected]
Posted: 07/31/2010 07:01:30 PM PDT
Updated: 07/31/2010 10:03:07 PM PDT
Click photo to enlarge
Bradley Westphal, 23, of San Jose, is accused of walking into... ( Special to the Mercury News )
Standing in the living room of his South San Jose home, Eddie Garcia stared at the stranger who was pointing a gun at his two young daughters and sister-in-law in the backyard. The man told Garcia to unlock the sliding glass door and step outside.
He did. Then the gunman opened fire with a Glock 27 semiautomatic pistol, hitting Garcia three times. The gunman then shot Eddie's younger brother and chased him down Los Pinos Street, located near the Santa Teresa foothills. Out of bullets, the gunman pistol-whipped Oscar Garcia in a neighbor's yard before returning to his car and driving away.
Eddie Garcia, who is not related to the East Side Union High School District board president of the same name, spent six days in intensive care.
"When Eddie saw him going toward his kids, he had no choice. He went out. It's either him or his kids," said his fiancee, Elizabeth Demario, an eyewitness.
Eight weeks after the June 3 shooting the Garcias are still struggling to deal with the financial burden and emotional scars from an attack by a man they say they'd never met.
Two of Eddie Garcia's three daughters, ages 3 and 5, have nightmares about the attack and are receiving free counseling from a child psychologist. He is undergoing physical therapy after being shot in the wrist and foot, injuries that have made it impossible for him to return to work as a machine operator. A third bullet ripped through his intestine and bladder, causing
damage that nearly took his life.
The Garcias are trying to qualify for assistance from the Santa Clara County victim program; with medical bills piling up and the added expense of moving, the adults can't afford counseling.
"You don't expect that to happen in your own home. That's where you feel safe," said Maria Garcia, Eddie and Oscar's mother, who also lived at the home on Benzo Drive but wasn't home at the time. "It just feels like somebody came in and took all that away from us."
Hours after the shooting, police arrested 23-year-old Bradley Westphal, who lives just blocks away. Westphal's parents told police that he has mental problems but has never been diagnosed with an illness and was acting "very crazy" before the attack. Westphal's attorney, Adrienne Dell, declined to comment.
Westphal, who was charged with two counts of attempted murder, is facing a life sentence if convicted as charged. He is scheduled to enter a plea Aug. 16.
Eddie and Oscar Garcia are too distraught to discuss the attack, their mother said.
According to police reports and interviews with other family members, the chaotic scene began on a tranquil Thursday night. Eddie Garcia and Demario were watching the Lakers' playoff game as the girls colored in their bedroom. Oscar Garcia and his fiancee were playing video games. Jesus Garcia, Oscar and Eddie's father, had just gone for a walk.
Demario noticed a man in the driveway saying something about nice rims on Eddie's car. Eddie Garcia saw the man was holding a gun.
Eddie and Oscar immediately began locking doors and windows. Their fiancees took the girls — the youngest is a 1-year-old — into a bedroom.
"We were all freaking out," Demario said. "We didn't know what to do."
Not knowing whether the gunman was inside, the women decided to escape with the girls through a bedroom window. Oscar Garcia's fiancee, Marta Olivera, went first, and then took the youngest girls. As Demario went through, she realized Olivera and the girls were staring down the barrel of a gun from about 20 feet away. According to the police report, Olivera begged the gunman, "Please don't shoot."
"I won't shoot the babies," he reportedly replied.
That's when Eddie Garcia opened the sliding glass door and was shot, allowing Demario to get the girls back inside the house, she said. Oscar Garcia then climbed out the window to help his brother and was shot while climbing the fence.
As the gunman climbed over the fence, he took aim at Oscar Garcia's direction. Olivera, a petite 22-year-old, grabbed and pulled at the gunman, forcing his last shot into the air.
Neighbors who dialed 911 stood in disbelief as they watched the gunman chase Oscar Garcia down the street. As the gunman began calmly walking back, he was followed by a neighbor who got the gunman's license plate number as he drove away.
Neighbor Marc Miller, a registered nurse, tended to Eddie Garcia's wounds until paramedics arrived. Maria Garcia credits Miller for saving her son's life.
"I was a little concerned he wouldn't make it," said Miller, a home care nurse for Kaiser Permanente.
The first 911 call was made by Westphal's mother, according to police reports. She arrived home from a trip out of state and was greeted outside by her son, who was angry, and began punching holes in walls and breaking things inside the home. As Westphal's mother attempted to calm him down, he pushed her out of the way. She called 911.
Westphal took his mom's car keys and drove away.
A few minutes later, Westphal's mother told a dispatcher she heard four to five gunshots. She also said her son owned a gun but was not sure if he had it with him.
Westphal told police he targeted the Garcia home and wanted to confront the "dudes" who he said had been taunting him. Police say Westphal said someone from inside the home showed off a shotgun and asked, "You want some of this?" Westphal said he responded with, "Let's do this."
During questioning, a police investigator asked Westphal if he believed the man with a shotgun was trying to protect his home. Westphal answered yes.
Police recovered a loaded sawed-off shotgun and two boxes of shells from a closet in the family's master bedroom. The gun and one box of shells had blood stains.
Police arrested Westphal after he called his father to say where he parked the car and where he ditched the gun. Police say Westphal told his father he was at a church near Los Gatos and was "wiggin' out."
Traumatized by the attack, the Garcias decided not to return to their longtime home, a decision that has cost them about $3,000 in motel bills and a deposit on a new rental home.
They miss their neighbors. They sometimes break down and cry.
"It's not going to be the same anymore," said Maria Garcia. "I know it's going to affect us for the rest of our lives."
Dude isn't 23 though....he's 26.
http://www.mercurynews.com/bay-area-news/ci_15649949?source=rss
San Jose: Family recovering from shooting that wounded two brothers
By Mark Gomez
[email protected]
Posted: 07/31/2010 07:01:30 PM PDT
Updated: 07/31/2010 10:03:07 PM PDT
Click photo to enlarge
Bradley Westphal, 23, of San Jose, is accused of walking into... ( Special to the Mercury News )
Standing in the living room of his South San Jose home, Eddie Garcia stared at the stranger who was pointing a gun at his two young daughters and sister-in-law in the backyard. The man told Garcia to unlock the sliding glass door and step outside.
He did. Then the gunman opened fire with a Glock 27 semiautomatic pistol, hitting Garcia three times. The gunman then shot Eddie's younger brother and chased him down Los Pinos Street, located near the Santa Teresa foothills. Out of bullets, the gunman pistol-whipped Oscar Garcia in a neighbor's yard before returning to his car and driving away.
Eddie Garcia, who is not related to the East Side Union High School District board president of the same name, spent six days in intensive care.
"When Eddie saw him going toward his kids, he had no choice. He went out. It's either him or his kids," said his fiancee, Elizabeth Demario, an eyewitness.
Eight weeks after the June 3 shooting the Garcias are still struggling to deal with the financial burden and emotional scars from an attack by a man they say they'd never met.
Two of Eddie Garcia's three daughters, ages 3 and 5, have nightmares about the attack and are receiving free counseling from a child psychologist. He is undergoing physical therapy after being shot in the wrist and foot, injuries that have made it impossible for him to return to work as a machine operator. A third bullet ripped through his intestine and bladder, causing
damage that nearly took his life.
The Garcias are trying to qualify for assistance from the Santa Clara County victim program; with medical bills piling up and the added expense of moving, the adults can't afford counseling.
"You don't expect that to happen in your own home. That's where you feel safe," said Maria Garcia, Eddie and Oscar's mother, who also lived at the home on Benzo Drive but wasn't home at the time. "It just feels like somebody came in and took all that away from us."
Hours after the shooting, police arrested 23-year-old Bradley Westphal, who lives just blocks away. Westphal's parents told police that he has mental problems but has never been diagnosed with an illness and was acting "very crazy" before the attack. Westphal's attorney, Adrienne Dell, declined to comment.
Westphal, who was charged with two counts of attempted murder, is facing a life sentence if convicted as charged. He is scheduled to enter a plea Aug. 16.
Eddie and Oscar Garcia are too distraught to discuss the attack, their mother said.
According to police reports and interviews with other family members, the chaotic scene began on a tranquil Thursday night. Eddie Garcia and Demario were watching the Lakers' playoff game as the girls colored in their bedroom. Oscar Garcia and his fiancee were playing video games. Jesus Garcia, Oscar and Eddie's father, had just gone for a walk.
Demario noticed a man in the driveway saying something about nice rims on Eddie's car. Eddie Garcia saw the man was holding a gun.
Eddie and Oscar immediately began locking doors and windows. Their fiancees took the girls — the youngest is a 1-year-old — into a bedroom.
"We were all freaking out," Demario said. "We didn't know what to do."
Not knowing whether the gunman was inside, the women decided to escape with the girls through a bedroom window. Oscar Garcia's fiancee, Marta Olivera, went first, and then took the youngest girls. As Demario went through, she realized Olivera and the girls were staring down the barrel of a gun from about 20 feet away. According to the police report, Olivera begged the gunman, "Please don't shoot."
"I won't shoot the babies," he reportedly replied.
That's when Eddie Garcia opened the sliding glass door and was shot, allowing Demario to get the girls back inside the house, she said. Oscar Garcia then climbed out the window to help his brother and was shot while climbing the fence.
As the gunman climbed over the fence, he took aim at Oscar Garcia's direction. Olivera, a petite 22-year-old, grabbed and pulled at the gunman, forcing his last shot into the air.
Neighbors who dialed 911 stood in disbelief as they watched the gunman chase Oscar Garcia down the street. As the gunman began calmly walking back, he was followed by a neighbor who got the gunman's license plate number as he drove away.
Neighbor Marc Miller, a registered nurse, tended to Eddie Garcia's wounds until paramedics arrived. Maria Garcia credits Miller for saving her son's life.
"I was a little concerned he wouldn't make it," said Miller, a home care nurse for Kaiser Permanente.
The first 911 call was made by Westphal's mother, according to police reports. She arrived home from a trip out of state and was greeted outside by her son, who was angry, and began punching holes in walls and breaking things inside the home. As Westphal's mother attempted to calm him down, he pushed her out of the way. She called 911.
Westphal took his mom's car keys and drove away.
A few minutes later, Westphal's mother told a dispatcher she heard four to five gunshots. She also said her son owned a gun but was not sure if he had it with him.
Westphal told police he targeted the Garcia home and wanted to confront the "dudes" who he said had been taunting him. Police say Westphal said someone from inside the home showed off a shotgun and asked, "You want some of this?" Westphal said he responded with, "Let's do this."
During questioning, a police investigator asked Westphal if he believed the man with a shotgun was trying to protect his home. Westphal answered yes.
Police recovered a loaded sawed-off shotgun and two boxes of shells from a closet in the family's master bedroom. The gun and one box of shells had blood stains.
Police arrested Westphal after he called his father to say where he parked the car and where he ditched the gun. Police say Westphal told his father he was at a church near Los Gatos and was "wiggin' out."
Traumatized by the attack, the Garcias decided not to return to their longtime home, a decision that has cost them about $3,000 in motel bills and a deposit on a new rental home.
They miss their neighbors. They sometimes break down and cry.
"It's not going to be the same anymore," said Maria Garcia. "I know it's going to affect us for the rest of our lives."
