Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for 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 June 27 that on

June 26, 2025, the Honorable Rafael Vazquez sentenced 37-year-old Armando Rodriguez Garcia to 15 years

to life in prison plus an additional term of 41 years and 8 months. In May of 2025, Rodriguez Garcia was

convicted by jury of willful, deliberate, and premediated attempted murder of a peace officer, seven counts

of assault on a peace officer with a semiautomatic firearm, three 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 a female friend of Rodriguez Garcia’s. The 3 male 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.

In total, Rodriguez Garcia fired four shots at the lead officer and the six other Greenfield and King City

officers who were also present on scene. All of the officers were within fifty 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.

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.