Greyston Garcia, a 26-year-old Miami resident who beat a murder rap thanks to the craziest interpretation yet of Florida's Stand Your Ground law, was killed Tuesday by a stray bullet in a gang shooting. His death came three months after second-degree murder charges against him were dropped in the fatal stabbing of Pedro Roteta.
Back on March 28, Garcia was granted immunity in Roteta's death despite the fact that Garcia, after discovering Roteta trying to steal his car stereo, chased Roteta down the street before stabbing him, didn't call police after the attack, and then hid the knife and pawned the other stolen radios he took off Roteta.
But his defense team argued that Roteta had swung a bag of radios at Garcia and that Garcia was within his rights to use deadly force to defend himself and his property. Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Beth Bloom agreed with the defense, and the charges were dropped.
The Garcia case sparked nationwide debate, garnering additional press in the wake of the death of Trayvon Martin. The defendant in that case, George Zimmerman, has claimed he acted in accordance with Stand Your Ground.
The shooting that took Garcia's life happened in Liberty City around 9:30 p.m. Tuesday in the 6900 block of NW 15th Avenue. Garcia was driving to work when he was struck by a stray bullet through the passenger-side window, causing him to crash his truck. Despite efforts by paramedics to save his life, Garcia died en route to the hospital.
The shooting was most likely part of a gang fight that had erupted nearby, police tell the Miami Herald. The violence claimed another life as well, a 16-year-old boy whose name has not been released. Police believe he was involved in the gang shooting.
No arrests have been made in the death of either Garcia or the unnamed teenager.
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