After more than a year across state lines, the man San Diego detectives have long pointed to in a Pacific Beach killing is finally back in local custody.
Felipe Villegas was flown to San Diego on Wednesday and booked into county jail, according to investigators. He had remained in Texas following his 2022 arrest there. The victim, 65-year-old Mary Garcia, was found on the sand near the 700 block of Reed Avenue in the early morning hours of Sept. 13, 2022, suffering from at least one gunshot wound. She later died at a hospital.
As reported by FOX5 San Diego, Villegas was extradited from Texas and booked into the San Diego County Jail, where he remains behind bars. He was originally arrested in Pecos, Texas, in September 2022 on unrelated charges and stayed there until authorities arranged his transfer. Officials have not yet released an arraignment date.
Investigation timeline
Officers from the San Diego Police Department's Northern Division responded around 12:30 a.m. on Sept. 13, 2022, after beachgoers spotted Garcia on the sand receiving help. She had at least one gunshot wound to her upper body, according to ABC 10News. The department's Homicide Unit later ruled her death a homicide as detectives collected evidence and interviewed witnesses.
Wrongful arrest, new suspect identified
Within hours of the shooting, the case took a sharp turn toward Garcia's own family. Less than 12 hours after the gunfire, police arrested her son, Daniel (Danny) Caldera, briefly booking him on suspicion of murder before he was cleared and released, Times of San Diego reported.
Detectives said that additional interviews and newly reviewed evidence gave them probable cause to seek an arrest warrant for 27-year-old Villegas. By then, investigators said, he had left San Diego and driven to Texas after the shooting, which set off the interstate search that eventually landed him in a Pecos jail.
What’s next
With Villegas now back in San Diego, the Homicide Unit and the county prosecutor are expected to move forward with formal charges and arraignment. FOX5 San Diego reports that he is currently being held in the county jail.
Investigators are still interested in hearing from anyone who might know more about what happened that night on the Pacific Beach shoreline. SDPD is asking tipsters to contact the Homicide Unit at (619) 531-2293 or call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 888-580-8477, according to city officials.
Family reaction
Garcia's family told ABC 10News they were stunned when Caldera was arrested in 2022, then relieved when investigators said he was no longer a suspect. Relatives described Garcia as a protector who had moved to San Diego so she could support her son. After the killing, loved ones launched a GoFundMe campaign to help cover funeral and related expenses, according to local coverage.
