Richard Quntan Garcia sentenced to life in prison for armed robberies and reckless evasion
SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY, Calif. – San Luis Obispo County District Attorney Dan Dow announced on Tuesday that Richard Quntan Garcia of Paso Robles has been sentenced to 41 years plus 77 years to life in prison.
On May 11 of this year, a San Luis Obispo County jury convicted Garcia of robbery, attempted robbery, carjacking, and reckless evasion of a peace officer. That jury also found that Garcia had and used a handgun during that robbery.
Garcia was also convicted on three misdemeanor counts of resisting, delaying, or obstructing a peace officer as well as one misdemeanor count of possession of methamphetamine.
During a separate hearing, San Luis Obispo Superior Court Judge Timothy Covello found that Garcia has prior convictions for assault with a firearm for the benefit of a criminal street gang and assault with a firearm, both violent strikes under California's Three Strikes Law.
“Richard Garcia’s violent crime spree was a menace to our community and my office is committed to aggressive enforcement of California’s Three Strikes sentencing laws for serious and violent offenders,” said San Luis Obispo County District Attorney Dan Dow. “This sentence of life in prison is a message that should strongly discourage any other individuals from bringing their criminal activities here.”
During the jury trial, jurors head about the following multi-day series of incidents perpetrated by Garcia.
After 10 p.m. on Nov. 24, 2021, Garcia entered the Carl's Jr. in the 2700 block of Black Oak Drive in Paso Robles where he demanded money while pointing a handgun at a 15-year-old employee. Another employee contacted law enforcement as Garcia fled the scene without completing the robbery.
Three hours later in the early morning of Nov. 25, 2021, Garcia entered the Chevron Gas Station in the 1800 block of Ramada Drive in Paso Robles with a handgun where he demanded money from an employee and fire a round over the employee's shoulder.
Garcia completed this second robbery and fled the scene in a dark BMW sedan with the contents of the store's register.
The dark BMW was recognized by Paso Robles Police Department (PRPD) leading to a fifteen-mile high-speed pursuit along Nacimiento Lake Drive. Garcia eventually fled the scene on foot near Lake Nacimiento Resort where he successfully evaded police.
Four days later, after Garcia had been identified from a carjacking the previous day in the area, PRPD located him in the same area and he was arrested after a half-mile foot chase. After his arrest, methamphetamine was found in his pocket.
