Christopher Benjamin Garcia Sentenced for Attempted Murder

Today, Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill announced that a Third District Court judge has sentenced Christopher Benjamin Garcia for the attempted murder of his wife last year.

On July 15, 2023, Salt Lake City Police responded to a 911 call where Garcia’s wife reported she had been shot. When detectives arrived, the victim told police that her husband had shot her. The defendant said he had “been at war” with his wife. When she went upstairs to their attic, the defendant followed her and shot her five times. The defendant told police “I would have did [sic] it again. I knew I was going to do it.” The defendant had been drinking with his son, who tried to convince him not to shoot the victim and eventually took the gun away from the defendant. The defendant’s son had the gun when police arrived, but the defendant told police, “I did the dirt.” Both men were arrested. The co-defendant’s case is still working its way through the criminal justice system.

Mr. Garcia entered a guilty as charged in the lead offense for first-degree felony attempted murder in January of this year. The victim’s family worked with prosecutors on the resolution of this case. On Monday, the judge sentenced the defendant to three years to life at the Utah State Correctional Facility.

“We all have a responsibility as friends, family, and community members to look out for the well-being of others. 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,” said Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill. “Our prosecutors, Josh Graves and Chris Alberico, as well as our support staff, worked to deliver justice for this violent and potentially deadly attack. We appreciate the work of Salt Lake City Police Department for securing statements from the defendant during the interview process. Those statements helped ensure this successful prosecution.”