PB murder suspect finally extradited after 42 months

Three and a Half Years Later, the Man Accused of Killing Mary Garcia on the PB Waterfront Is Finally in a San Diego Jail

For Mary Garcia's family, justice has been a long time coming.

Felipe Villegas, 30, was booked into San Diego Central Jail on Wednesday after being extradited from Texas, where he had been sitting behind bars on unrelated charges since just days after the crime. He was arraigned Friday in San Diego Superior Court on a murder charge in connection with the fatal shooting of 65-year-old Mary Garcia, and pleaded not guilty. He remains in custody without bail and faces up to 50 years to life in state prison if convicted. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for June 30.

Garcia was found on the beach near the western terminus of Reed Avenue in Pacific Beach shortly after 12:30 a.m. on September 13, 2022. Bystanders were already trying to help her when officers arrived. She was rushed to a hospital and pronounced dead.

The case took a painful detour almost immediately. That same day, San Diego police arrested Garcia's own son, Daniel Caldera, on suspicion of killing her. He spent a week in jail and pleaded not guilty before investigators identified Villegas as the actual suspect and dropped all charges against Caldera.

Three days after Garcia's death, Villegas had been arrested in Pecos, Texas, on suspicion of armed robbery and carjacking. His extradition to San Diego was placed on hold for nearly 42 months while the Texas case ran its course. SDPD investigators finally traveled to Texas on February 25 to bring him back.

Police say there was no known connection between Villegas and Garcia, and no motive has been disclosed.

Garcia's son Anthony said he broke down crying when prosecutors called him two days ago with the news. He and his sister Julie stood outside the courthouse clutching a photo of their mother. After three and a half years, the family is finally ready to see this through.

Sources: CBS 8 | San Diego Union-Tribune | Times of San Diego | FOX 5 San Diego | 10News