Trial of man accused of ordering triple murder begins in Modesto. Alleged target survived

The terrified whispers of an 18-year-old woman pleading with a 911 operator to send help as two gunman shot her east Modesto housemates were heard by a jury Tuesday.

Her muffled words were hard to hear, but were transcribed so jurors could follow along.

In the early hours of March 3, 2012, 16-year-old David Siebels, 19-year-old Alyxandria Tellez and 31-year-old Edward Joseph Reinig were shot and killed in their home. The triple murder resulted in a yearslong investigation, with legal proceedings lasting over a decade.

Jurors heard the 911 call during opening statements in the trial of Richard Tyrone Garcia, 41. He is accused of ordering Armando Osegueda and Joseph Luis Jauriqui to kill an 18-year-old he’d previously dated, along with everyone she lived with. The teen, whom prosecutors allege was the intended target, was the sole survivor of the order. She is referred to as “Jane Doe” in court.

“Where are you at?” asked the 911 operator.

“I’m hiding in the bathroom,” Doe said softly.

“You don’t know who it is that had the gun?” said the dispatcher.

“No,” Doe answered.

“Do you know what they look like?”

“No,” said Doe.

“How do you know that anybody was shot then?” the dispatcher continued.

“Because I heard the shooting,” Doe said, louder and clearer.

Prosecution delivers opening statements

Garcia, dressed in a suit, followed along, generally without reaction. Garcia already is serving a life sentence, plus three years, for ordering the murder of his cellmate, who was scheduled to testify against him. The hit was never carried out, as law enforcement caught wind of it beforehand.

Several members of the Norteño regiment Garcia is alleged to have led — the Empire Boyz — will testify over the course of the trial, Chief Deputy District Attorney Marlisa Ferreira announced. Prosecutors said they believe they have more than enough evidence to convict him and hope it will establish the motive.

“We don’t know if anyone above him knew what (the killers) were doing. But clearly, Richard Garcia ordered these hits,” Ferreira said in her opening statement. “And the motive, you will learn, would be because he was getting rid of the witnesses that were interrupting the primary activities of the gang.”

Ferreira said the Garcia-led Empire Boyz mainly were in the business of gun-running to Oregon and methamphetamine distribution. The criminal activity, which netted about $10,000 per month, had not been going well for Garcia, who’d amassed debt to his superiors, she said.

His main reason for the debt, prosecutors alleged, was because Juan Jose Nila Jr., one of Garcia’s gun-runners, was caught by police near Redding on his way back from Oregon. Garcia lost nearly a month’s worth of revenue from the seizure. Nila is scheduled to testify against Garcia.

With financial pressure mounting, Garcia could not afford any other setbacks from law enforcement — and a major one was on the horizon.

Three weeks prior to the murders, Garcia allegedly held Doe captive for days, torturing, binding and beating her. Photos were presented to the jury, reportedly taken by Garcia, of Doe bound and gagged. Photos of her injuries, which included bruises, burns and a black eye, also were presented.

Garcia was arrested on suspicion of this crime but was out on bail the next day. The charges are now attached to his current ones.

Doe was set to meet with the Ceres Police Department, who was handling the false imprisonment and torture case, the day after the murders occurred. Garcia, expecting that she also would provide information on his other criminal activities, couldn’t let that happen, Ferreira said.

A search warrant was executed on Garcia’s apartment in Ceres as part of Doe’s case. During the search, officers found ammunition, drugs, cash, pay/owe slips and guns. This was another big setback for the Empire Boyz’s business, Ferreira alleged.

The order a few weeks later to kill Doe and everyone she lived with was evidenced by text messages sent by Garcia to his assassins — Jauriqui and Osegueda.

“Your house is a go,” Garcia allegedly wrote in a text. “Please proceed with extreme prejudice.”

Once the order was given, Osegueda responds with “no regrets.” It’s his tagline, the prosecution alleged.

The prosecution’s account of the murders

Nila is said to have driven Jauriqui and Osegueda to the McLure Road home, where they entered through a side door attached to the garage, armed with a .45 caliber handgun and a FN Five-seveN handgun loaded with blue polymer-tipped rounds, the prosecution alleged.

They allegedly walked into the home through the garage and found Siebels sleeping on the couch in the living room. Siebels was tasked with protecting Doe, Tellez and Reinig — a shotgun was found behind the couch he was sleeping on. He was shot twice in the back of the head.

The duo then went up the stairs and searched the bedrooms, one of which was where Doe was sleeping. Peering through the blankets she was under, she could make out two figures using a cell phone as a flashlight, searching for her.

Unable to find her, they went into the bedroom occupied by Tellez and Reinig. Tellez was shot several times throughout her body. At some point, Reinig put up his hands to defend himself. He was shot through his hands, crime scene photos show. Doe said she could smell the gunpowder from where she was hiding, the prosecution said.

After the shootings, the men fled the home and Doe called 911. She was terrified to leave the bathroom where she was then taking shelter, fearing the gunmen would return, the prosecution argued. She waited until the arrival of Modesto Police Department officers, who discovered the scene.

The confirmation text Garcia received after the murders read, “three confirmed not with us anymore.”

Before, during and after the shootings, Garcia is alleged to have communicated with Jauriqui and Osegueda. In February 2023, Jauriqui pleaded guilty for his involvement. Osegueda’s next court appearance is set for Aug. 2, for a case management conference.

What’s next in the trial?

Garcia’s representation deferred its opening statements at the beginning of the trial. His attorneys can wait until the prosecution rests its case, before the defense begins its own.

After the defense finishes, closing statements will be given before the case goes to the jury.

Based on the prosecution’s opening statements, it’s possible Garcia will argue that his alibi is sufficient to acquit him. He was not in the area at the time of the murders but was on his way to Oregon.

The prosecution took aim at that strategy, alleging Garcia intentionally stopped at gas stations and stood in front of surveillance cameras to solidify his alibi.

Garcia’s trial is being held in Department 8 of the Stanislaus County Courthouse.