Pueblo police say September fatal shooting stemmed from domestic fight
Pueblo police say a domestic fight between a homicide victim and his girlfriend may have led to the man's alleged murder, according to court documents obtained by the Chieftain.
Sonny Sanchez, 46, faces a charge of first-degree murder after police allege he fatally shot Greg Garcia, whose body was found in a van under a bridge on West 24th Street on Sept. 29. Sanchez was served with the murder warrant Oct. 25 while already in jail on unrelated charges, according to a statement by police on Oct. 27.
In statements to investigators detailed in an arrest affidavit, Garcia's girlfriend said she and Garcia went to buy pills from Sanchez on the night of Sept. 27, visiting Sanchez's RV that was parked on Tuxedo Drive.
The pair gave Sanchez a ride in their van, the girlfriend said, first to a residence where Sanchez allegedly retrieved a firearm from a friend, and then to a gas station to buy fuel before heading to a residence in the 2200 block of Cheyenne Avenue.
Sanchez went inside the Cheyenne residence, Garcia's girlfriend said, and while they were waiting outside, she and Garcia began fighting, which she said was common, according to the affidavit.
More on Pueblo public safety:Pueblo County Sheriff's Office investigating shooting death as homicide
The girlfriend told investigators that during the fight, she didn't see Sanchez come out of the house but felt his arm on her shoulder and saw him pointing a gun toward Garcia.
Sanchez was allegedly standing outside the driver's side door pointing the gun through the window, according to the affidavit. Sanchez allegedly told Garcia, "stop hitting her, she's my friend."
Sanchez then allegedly walked around the back of the van, jumped in the backseat behind Garcia and shot him in the back of the head, the girlfriend told police.
She said she then tried to take Garcia to the hospital but Sanchez wouldn't allow it. She claimed Sanchez pointed the gun at her and forced her to take him back to his RV.
After arriving at the RV, Sanchez allegedly forced Garcia's girlfriend to exit the van, give him the keys and go inside the RV to change her clothes.
She said she heard Sanchez leave the RV twice during the night and heard the van's ignition start when he left.
Sanchez fell asleep about 10 a.m. the following morning, according to the affidavit, and the girlfriend and two other women who'd spent the night at the RV left and walked to a neighbor's house, where she said she showered, changed, and called for a ride, which arrived later that afternoon.
The van was recovered on Sept. 29 under the 24th Street bridge between Perry Avenue and Tuxedo Boulevard, with Garcia's body inside laying on the rear passenger-side floorboard. A .40 caliber casing was found between the Garcia's legs, according to the affidavit, with a .40 caliber bullet fragment retrieved from the top of the driver's seat.
Police say they later contacted Sanchez and found 55 suspected fentanyl pills in his pocket and 26.7 grams of suspected methamphetamine in a backpack.
Sanchez claimed to police that he, Garcia and Garcia's girlfriend had gone to a residence to buy pills and when he returned to the van from the residence, Garcia and his girlfriend were arguing and Sanchez told them to stop fighting.
Sanchez stated that the couple dropped him off at his house and Garcia's girlfriend came back 30 minutes later with Garcia "and he had a hole in his head," according to the affidavit. Sanchez told police that Garcia's girlfriend had previously purchased bullets from him and he'd given her bullets of a variety of calibers, including .40 caliber.
Sanchez claimed to police the girlfriend shot Garcia because Garcia was hitting her. When asked where she would have shot him, Sanchez allegedly replied that he "didn't ask and he didn't want to know." He told police he just helped the woman move Garcia's body from the front seat of the vehicle to the back and "wanted her to leave."
A search warrant executed on Sanchez's RV on Oct. 4 yielded firearm magazines, .40 caliber ammunition, a gun cleaning kit, holster, and a .40 caliber cartridge inside the kit among other firearms accessories, according to the affidavit. There was also a purchase receipt for a 10-round .40 caliber magazine that police say had possible blood on it.
In an interview with a resident of the home on Cheyenne Avenue where Sanchez alleged the trio had gone to buy pills, the resident told police after Sanchez left his house he heard a loud bang before the van sped off.
"So (Sanchez) leaves and I imagine he was probably driving the van at that time because I heard screaming," the resident told police, according to the affidavit. "The van takes off and I call Sonny and said, 'What's up man, are you ok?' And he said, 'No, brother. I'm not.' He said, 'I need some help, shovel help."
Upon arriving at Sanchez's RV, the man told police he saw Sanchez covered in blood. When he asked if Garcia was still alive, he said Sanchez told him he didn't know but wouldn't allow anyone to take Garcia to the hospital "in case he talks," the affidavit said.
Sanchez is being held at the Pueblo County Detention Center without bail, pending a court appearance. He's set to appear in court on Nov. 7.
More:Former Pueblo County Sheriff Kirk Taylor begins tenure as U.S. marshal
All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in court. Arrests and charges are merely accusations by law enforcement until, and unless, a suspect is convicted of a crime.
Questions, comments, or story tips? Contact Justin at jreutterma@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @jayreutter1.
This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Pueblo police say September fatal shooting stemmed from domestic fight
