Man Who Shot, Burned Victim’s Body in 2022 in National City Sentenced to Prison

A man who fatally shot another man, then burned the victim’s body in National City, was sentenced Friday to 16 years and eight months in state prison.

Juan Carlos Acosta-Sanchez, 43, pleaded guilty to charges of voluntary manslaughter and mutilation of human remains for the October 2022 killing of 55-year-old Jaime Barba.

Barba’s body was discovered at the scene of a Harbison Avenue blaze that National City firefighters responded to just after 1:30 a.m. Oct. 5.

Investigators determined that Barba had suffered multiple gunshot wounds and was killed in San Diego two days before the fire, according to Lt. Steve Shebloski of the San Diego Police Department.

The lieutenant said Acosta-Sanchez and Barba knew one another and met up in the Egger Highlands neighborhood on Oct. 3, where Barba was shot during an argument. Acosta-Sanchez was arrested in Imperial Beach on Oct. 7.