Survivor of killings said boyfriend abused her
Mar 6, 2012, 1:13 AM
Associated Press
FRESNO, Calif. (AP) – An 18-year-old woman who survived a weekend shooting in Modesto that left three others dead previously said she had been kidnapped and tortured by her boyfriend a month earlier.
The woman reported that Richard Tyrone Garibay held her for a week in February at their home in Ceres, where she was beaten, burned with a lighter and threatened with death along with her family, Ceres police spokesman Sgt. Jose Berber said.
The attack came when Garibay went into a jealous rage after reading a text message on her phone, he said. The woman is pregnant with Garibay’s child.
Garibay, 21, was arrested at the time but posted bail before charges were filed. He was back in custody Monday and a criminal complaint on the domestic violence case was written and filed against him on the same day, said Carol Shipley of the Stanislaus County District Attorney’s Office.
The complaint charges him with felony counts of assault likely to produce great bodily injury, torture, battery on a spouse or cohabitor, threating to commit a crime that would result in death or injury, and false imprisonment. The charges are enhanced because Garibay is alleged to have used a gun and knife while making the threats, and because harm was inflicted on his girlfriend, the complaint says.
His bail was set at $1.18 million. It could not be immediately determined if Garibay had retained a lawyer.
Shipley said Garibay had posted bail immediately after his initial arrest and would have been arraigned on the charges at a later date. This time, the district attorney’s office filed immediately when Ceres police picked him up Sunday night on an outstanding warrant.
Shipley said she has no information on whether the re-arrest is tied to the investigation of the three killings. She also would not comment on whether the quick filing of the felony charges was related to the investigation of the killings.
Modesto police have released little information, but a spokesman said the attack was not random and investigators believe the killer or killers intentionally targeted the home.
“This is a very complex investigation and for us to comment or speculate on specific information on this active and open case would be irresponsible and could jeopardize the integrity of the investigation,” police Lt. Scott Heller said in a written statement.
Modesto police Lt. Rick Armendariz confirmed that one person survived the shooting on Saturday and called 911 from the home, but he would not give any other details. Family members told the Modesto Bee the woman hid in a closet during the rampage.
The three victims were identified as Edward Reinig, 31, Alyxandria Tellez, 19, and David Siebels, 16.
In the previous incident, the woman was released after her bruises had healed, Berber said. Her family took her to a hospital and called police that day.
Police executing a search warrant then said they found methamphetamine in the home, a gun capable of shooting armor-piercing ammunition and an undisclosed amount of cash.
Garibay also goes by the name Richard Garcia, the name under which he currently is being held.
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