Man pleads guilty to killing in Boise park. Mental evaluation to precede sentencing
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A suspect in a brutal 2019 killing in Ann Morrison Park in Boise has pleaded guilty and could be imprisoned for life, according to court records, but a judge has ordered that he be mentally evaluated before sentencing.
Andrew Ray Garcia, 29, pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and to being a persistent violator of the law in an Ada County court hearing on Dec. 8. Charges of grand theft and destruction or concealment of evidence were dropped as part of a plea agreement.
On Oct. 16, 2019, Garcia killed Roque Leon Arellano, 43, of Boise, by hitting, stomping or choking him, according to court documents filed by the Ada County Prosecutor’s Office. Arellano was found dead in the park on the morning of Oct. 17.
At the December hearing, Garcia said he and Arellano had gotten in a fight, “drunken words were exchanged” and he “hit and stomped on him,” according to court files. Garcia also said he has been diagnosed with mental disorders.
Arellano was a well-known tattoo artist in Boise.
In December 2019, an Ada County magistrate judge found Garcia to be “dangerously mentally ill” and committed him to the custody of the Idaho Department of Correction before a trial could proceed. But the department did not have enough bed space, and he was not able to be transferred to the Idaho Maximum Security Institution in Kuna until January 2020, according to court records. Two months later, he was transferred to the Ada County Jail, where he remains in custody.
According to Idaho law, prosecution cannot proceed if a defendant is deemed unable to understand the court proceedings or unable to assist in their own defense. Last July, Garcia was determined competent to stand trial.
According to a court filing by the prosecutor’s office, Garcia was convicted of felony battery on a law enforcement officer in 2014 and felony unlawful possession of a firearm in 2017, both of which contributed to his designation as a persistent violator.
Voluntary manslaughter is punishable by up to 15 years in prison. Upon conviction of a third felony, persistent violators may be sentenced to an additional minimum of five years and a maximum of life, according to state law.
Fourth District Judge Cynthia Lee-Wallace ordered that Garcia be mentally evaluated prior to his sentencing, which is scheduled for March 14. The judge waived a substance abuse evaluation.
