BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) \u2014 Two inmates have been charged with second-degree murder following the death of another inmate at the Erie County Holding Center on July 4, the Erie County District Attorney’s Office said.<\/p>\n
Around 11 a.m. on July 4, officials said deputies found 27-year-old Antonio Pizarro unresponsive inside a cell at the Erie County Holding Center. Paramedics attended to Pizarro, but he was pronounced dead around noon. The Erie County Medical Examiner’s Officer ruled Pizarro’s death as homicide caused by strangulation.<\/p>\n
Chico Garcia, 49, of Buffalo, and Skyler J. Gill, 21, of Lancaster, have been charged with second-degree murder. If convicted, they face a maximum sentence of 25 years to life in prison.<\/p>\n
Erie County Sheriff John Garcia said at a press conference Thursday that a review of video showed “no signs” of any type of argument or physical confrontation before Pizarro’s death.<\/p>\n
“It was just a normal interaction as far as we’re concerned and the victim voluntarily goes into the cell with somebody who has been in the same area as him for the last four days; I don’t think the victim had any idea what the callous, cold-blooded, calculated murders had planned for him.\u00a0No idea whatsoever,” Garcia said.<\/p>\n
Erie County District Attorney Mike Keane alleged that Garcia strangled Pizarro while Gill held Pizarro’s legs.<\/p>\n
“Garcia forced the victim onto the bed and began choking him from behind, first with a strip of bedsheet and then with his arm,” Keane said. “And while Garcia was choking the victim, Gill held his legs, restricting the victim from moving. Garcia strangled the victim to death. It only took a few minutes.”<\/p>\n
Garcia was in custody for charges involving three different burglaries, Keane said, and Gill was in custody on pending felony charges in Buffalo city court. Pizarro was in custody on a parole detainer; Keane declined to elaborate on the details of the parole detainer.<\/p>\n
Two inmates witnessed the incident and are cooperating with the investigation, Keane said.<\/p>\n
“These people, Chico Garcia and Skyler Gill, planned this, and they murdered a fellow human being,” Garcia said. “And the people that observed it, and the people who observed it, fellow inmates, did not say a word when it was transpiring. And that’s very troubling. There’s violent people on the outside and there’s violent people that get arrested in the community and come into the jail. We try to predict and try to stop all violence when we get intel regarding people that have beefs on the outside \u2026 there was no warning signs here.”<\/p>\n
A return court date has yet to be scheduled.<\/p>\n
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Mark Ludwiczak joined the News 4 team in 2024. He is a veteran journalist with two decades of experience in Buffalo. You can follow him online at @marklud12<\/a>.<\/p>\n Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.<\/p>\n