A young mother's final act to safeguard her toddlers before her tragic death has left a community in mourning. Jewel Mikayla Garcia, 20, was discovered fatally shot in her San Antonio apartment on February 9, along with the body of 20-year-old Josiah Moton, who police believe took his own life, as reported by Yahoo News. In a desperate attempt to protect her children from a scene of domestic horror, Garcia locked her 1-year-old and 2-year-old in another room, where they were found unharmed.
From a chilling 911 call, Garcia managed to tell the operator "I've been shot," before the dispatcher reportedly heard multiple gunshots, according to FOX San Antonio. The San Antonio Police Chief William McManus described the incident as "very, very sad," with no words to soon fully encapsulate the gravity of the tragedy or the finality of the lives lost.
In a heart-wrenching statement obtained by Yahoo News, Garcia's family expressed their devastation: “Our family is devastated from this tragedy. Jewel Mikayla Garcia was a Wonderful person she had a big heart willing to help anyone in need. We are going to miss her so much. It hurts us to think or imagine what she went through. That morning she texted her grandma that she Loved her with all her heart. She was excited she was going to visit her Dad and grandma. she never made it. We are going to miss her beautiful smile. We know she is in a better place. We ask for continued prayers for her babies and family.”
The toddlers have been placed in the care of child protective services, with the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services affirming they "are safe and receiving the care they need," according to FOX San Antonio. Marta Pelaez, President and CEO of Family Violence Prevention Services, stressed the importance of raising awareness, especially among the youth, that such tragedies can happen to anyone, and emphasized the availability of help for those trapped in domestic violence situations.
The local shelter, now operating at over 70 percent capacity, witnesses domestic violence levels returning to pre-pandemic statistics. As Pelaez told FOX San Antonio, "Our services can be residential at the shelter, if you think that the physical integrity is the compromise that you're fearing for your life." The Medical Examiner's Office confirmed Garcia's death was the result of multiple gunshot wounds, marking an end to a life described by loved ones as full of love and care, extinguished by a violent outburst that leaves behind two young lives without their mother.
