Convicted Salt Lake man gets 3 years to life for shooting wife five times

Support for victims and survivors of domestic violence is available 24/7: 1-800-897-LINK (5465). If you or someone else is in immediate danger, or in an emergency, please call 911 immediately.

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — A Salt Lake City man convicted of shooting his wife in 2023 was sentenced to three years to life in prison in Utah’s 3rd District Court on Monday, according to Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill.

Christopher Benjamin Garcia, 63, told police responding to the scene on July 14, 2023, that he’d shot his wife. She was found in an attic, along with five spent shells. She was injured in the left arm, left leg and in the face.

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Garcia pleaded guilty to a charge of first-degree felony attempted murder in January, Gill said.

According to court documents, Garcia told police he was tired of the way he was being treated by his wife and he knew “it was coming to this.” He also stated he was glad it happened the way it did. Garcia reportedly further told police that he didn’t have to worry about her anymore and that she could no longer “put the fear of God” in him. At the time police responded to the scene, Garcia was unaware his wife had survived the shooting.

Gill said Garcia “had been drinking with his son, who tried to convince him not to shoot the victim and eventually took the gun away…” While police found the gun in the son’s possession when they responded to the scene, Garcia told police, “I did the dirt.” The son was also arrested, and his case is still making its way through the justice system, according to Gill.

“We all have a responsibility as friends, family, and community members to look out for the well-being of others,” said Gill in a press release Tuesday morning. “If you see signs of domestic violence, please report it to law enforcement. If you are experiencing domestic violence, there are resources available to help you through multiple organizations like the YWCA. There is no room for family violence in our community. Today this defendant will go to prison for his violent acts.”

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