Monterey County Superior Court Jury Convicts Man of Attempted Murder of a Peace Officer, Assaulting Peace Officers with a Semiautomatic Firearm and Robbery

 

SALINAS, California - Monterey County District Attorney Jeannine M. Pacioni announced on May 15 that on

May 13, 2025, a jury found 37-year-old Armando Rodriguez Garcia guilty of willful, deliberate, and

premediated attempted murder of a peace officer, 7 counts of assault on a peace officer with a

semiautomatic firearm, 3 counts of armed robbery, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and being

a felon in possession of ammunition. The jury also found true that Rodriguez Garcia personally used and

discharged a firearm during the commission of many of these offenses.

On June 4, 2024, Rodriguez Garcia approached 3 men who were walking over a bridge in King City,

pointed his semiautomatic firearm at them, and demanded their phones and wallets, which they

surrendered. Rodriguez Garcia then ran and entered the passenger seat of a black Mazda, which was being

driven by his female friend. The 3 victims then ran back to their residence and used a friend’s phone

to report the armed robbery. Rodriguez Garcia and his friend drove around King City for an hour-and-a-

half before they then entered northbound Highway 101.

At 7:15 p.m., a Greenfield Police Officer spotted the black Mazda traveling northbound on Highway 101.

Other units from Greenfield Police Department and King City Police Department joined in and initiated a

traffic stop on the Mazda with lights and sirens. The Mazda failed to stop and continued to evade officers

for eight miles, traveling at speeds ranging from 55 to 72 miles per hour. Near Soledad, the Mazda slowed

and pulled to the shoulder. Before the Mazda came to a complete stop, Rodriguez Garcia opened the

passenger side door and began to step out of the vehicle with his .40-caliber semiautomatic firearm. The

lead King City patrol vehicle stopped directly behind the Mazda. The five other patrol vehicles stopped

as well. Rodriguez Garcia pointed his firearm directly at the lead King City patrol vehicle and began firing

at police. In total, Rodriguez Garcia fired 4 shots. The lead KCPD officer and 6 other Greenfield and

King City officers were present on scene. All of the officers were within 50 feet of Rodriguez Garcia

when he shot at them. Two King City officers returned fire. Rodriguez Garcia ran northbound on Highway

101, toward a shopping center in Soledad, continuing to shoot behind him and in the direction of officers

as he tried to flee. He ultimately stopped shooting when he was struck by gunfire and fell to the ground,

dropping his firearm out of his reach.

Rodriguez Garcia was transported to Natividad Medical Center, where he was treated for his injury.

Recovered at the scene was a .40-caliber semiautomatic firearm with three rounds in the magazine and

one in the chamber of the firearm. Due to a prior felony burglary conviction, Rodriguez Garcia was

prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition.

Rodriguez Garcia will be sentenced by Judge Rafael Vazquez on June 10, 2025. He faces up to life in

prison with the possibility of parole.

This case was primarily investigated by District Attorney Investigators Matt Costa, John Magana, and

Daisy Gurley, and California Highway Patrol Investigator Charles Rodriguez with the assistance of the

California Highway Patrol Multidisciplinary Accident Investigation Team.