Arrests in Fairfield city councilman slaying
(09-13) 10:57 PDT FAIRFIELD -- Two suspects have been arrested and a third is being sought in the shooting death of Fairfield City Councilman Matt Garcia, one of the nation's youngest elected officials, police said today.
Gene Allen Combs of Suisun City and Nicole Stewart of Fairfield were arrested early today, Fairfield Police Chief Kenton Rainey said at a news conference. Both were booked on suspicion of murder at Solano County Jail. A third suspect, Henry Don Williams, 32, is being sought on suspicion of murder, Rainey said.
"Turn yourself in," said Rainey, addressing Williams. "We're not going to rest. We will hunt you down and bring you to justice." The chief warned Williams' family members and friends that if they hid him, "He will not have any peace."
The police chief declined to discuss a motive for the slaying or say whether Garcia knew the suspects, citing an ongoing investigation. Rainey also declined to specify each suspect's role in the case.
Police and city officials were joined at the news conference by more than three dozen relatives and friends of Garcia. They wore T-shirts with the councilman's picture that read "In Loving Memory" and proclaimed him honorary mayor.
Raymond Courtemanche, Garcia's stepfather, thanked police for their work and asked for public help in locating Williams.
"We do not want any additional blood shed on our great city," Courtemanche said. "Please, please, I'm going to challenge every one of you right now, to bring your firearms. Somehow, some way, we're going to work this out. Get those firearms off the streets of our great city, because no one should have to experience what my family is going through at this time."
Courtemanche, surrounded by his family, spoke in front of a grassy area outside City Hall that was filled with flowers, posters and balloons in Garcia's memory.
Garcia, who turned 22 in July, was shot in the head at about 8:30 p.m. on Sept. 1 outside the home of a female friend he was visiting in the quiet Cordelia section of Fairfield.
Police said Garcia had been talking to Jennifer Tarbell when a man in his late teens or early 20s stepped out of a parked car and, from a distance of about 50 yards, fired several shots from a small-caliber handgun or rifle.
Police recovered eight shell casings from the roadway.
Garcia, standing near his own black Cadillac, was struck in the back of the head. Tarbell, a 2008 high school graduate, was not hit. The shooter then got back into a midsize American-made sedan and drove west, police said.
A man who witnessed the aftermath of the shooting told The Chronicle that the shooter's car pulled away from the scene with its headlights off.
"It pulled off casually slow and then sped off," said the 36-year-old man, who asked not to be named because he fears for his safety. He said Tarbell shouted for help, prompting neighbors - including a registered nurse - to hurry over.
Paramedics rushed Garcia to a nearby school field, from where he was airlifted to John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek.
Garcia was removed from life support on Sept. 5. Seven of his organs were donated to people in need, including a kidney that was given to a fellow Armijo High graduate, family members said.
Garcia, who lived with his grandmother, had emerged from modest roots to become a popular councilman with his election last November. Only 21 when he was elected to a four-year term, Garcia was the youngest councilmember in city history.
Several thousand people attended Garcia's funeral on Tuesday at the football field at Armijo High School in Fairfield, the councilman's alma mater. The theme of the service was, "Keep the Dream Alive."
As of this morning, a reward by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger for tips in the case had tripled to $150,000 with funds from Solano County and other donors.
City Manager Sean Quinn said after Garcia's death that the remaining four City Council members had 30 days to decide how to replace Garcia, whose term runs through 2011. The council can appoint a member or call for a special election, Quinn said.
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