A California man was convicted of first-degree murder after setting his father and a dog on fire during a violent confrontation.
Joseph Ashley Garcia, 44, of Lompoc, was convicted by a jury of his role in the deadly incident on April 21, the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office announced.
On June 11, 2022, police responded to a domestic dispute at a home on the 200 block of North D Street in Lompoc. Garcia had been arguing with his father, Joseph Michael Garcia, 68.
Lompoc officers arrived at the home and, while peering through a window, saw the victim with a dog on his lap as Garcia Jr. was arguing with him, the Santa Maria Times reported.
Officers contacted Garcia Jr. and asked him to cooperate, but he reportedly refused. As police forced their way into the home, they heard the father screaming and the dog barking.
Once inside, police saw the father engulfed in flames. The dog, who was sitting on his lap, also suffered serious burns during the incident.
Garcia Sr. was rushed to a Santa Barbara hospital, then later transported to a hospital in Los Angeles, where doctors said he had suffered second- and third-degree burns to 35% of his body, the Santa Maria Times reported.
Ten days after the incident, he was undergoing skin graft surgery when he died from septic shock, prosecutors said.
At the hospital, he allegedly told police that his son tried to stab him with a knife before asking for his dog. The dog, a terrier named Charlie, survived and was eventually put up for adoption.
Garcia Jr. was taken into custody. Investigators said they found a bottle that was partially filled with acetone, which they believed was used to set the victim on fire, along with a lighter and a large machete.
Detectives said the deadly incident reportedly stemmed from Garcia Jr.’s drug use, along with accusations that his spouse and his father were having an affair.
Garcia Jr. initially pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, though evaluations by two court-appointed doctors came back with contradicting results, the Times reported.
On April 13, 2026, a jury convicted Garcia Jr. of first-degree murder and found true the special circumstance of torture.
On April 21, following a separate sanity phase, the same jury found that Garcia Jr. was legally sane at the time of the offense, rejecting the defense’s claim that he did not understand the nature or wrongfulness of his actions.
“This verdict reflects exactly what justice looks like for one of the most disturbing cases our office has prosecuted,” said Santa Barbara County District Attorney John Savrnoch. “The jury heard the evidence and held this defendant fully accountable. A finding of first-degree murder with the torture special circumstance sends an unambiguous message that this community will not tolerate acts of extreme cruelty. I am deeply proud of Senior Deputy District Attorney Madison Whitmore, DA Investigator Megan Harrison, and the dedicated officers of the Lompoc Police Department whose tireless work made this result possible.”
A sentencing hearing is scheduled for June 6 at the Santa Maria Superior Court.
Given the torture special circumstance finding, he will face a mandatory term of life without the possibility of parole.
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