‘Lock tampering’ incident revealed involving Palm Springs quadruple murder suspect
New details were revealed Tuesday in the Palm Springs quadruple murder case about a jail security incident involving suspect Jose Larin Garcia tampering with a lock.
The incident was detailed in a discussion after the jury stepped outside the courtroom for lunch that led to the judge denying a defense request to remove Larin Garcia's leg brace due to a rash and irritation.
Larin Garcia is accused of murdering four people in Palm Springs in 2019. His first trial ended with a deadlocked jury.
The June 2022 incident involving Larin Garcia "tampering with locks" was detailed by a Riverside County Sheriff's Department sergeant. He also spoke about other instances of Larin Garcia fighting with deputies and earning numerous disciplinary points.
Judge Anthony Villalobos said removing Larin Garcia's brace would require more deputies in the courtroom amid a staffing shortage, which could create an unfair image for the jurors.
Judge Villalobos denied the defense request to remove Larin Garcia's leg brace and ordered a medical examination and treatment for the irritation. He cited concern that Larin Garcia is "a danger to others in the courtroom and the jurors."
Defense testimony continued Tuesday with defense expert Randolph Beasley, a crime scene reconstructionist, back on the stand.
Beasley examined blood spatter stains on the crashed Toyota Corolla where three of the victims were shot and presented conclusions to the jury.
Using measurements, angles and trigonometry, Beasley found general areas of origin and placed the victims' approximate locations in the crime scene.
He showed the jury photos of the victims autopsies with previously presented entrance and exit bullet wounds, then used styrofoam heads and trajectory rods to demonstrate the bullets' paths.
Against several prosecution objections, Beasley attempted to show how those paths ultimately ended in apparent bullet strike marks on the Corolla's glass windows and windshields.
