Posted on 11/12/2014 2:20:32 PM PST by BenLurkin
The Sylmar soldier killed over the weekend never deployed despite a report issued by the LAPD, it was revealed Wednesday.
United States Army officials confirmed to CBS2/KCAL9 that 21-year-old Francisco Garcia did not serve time in Afghanistan, or any other country, as originally reported by police.
Garcia was fatally shot early Sunday morning after a party on Dronfield Street in Sylmar.
According to the initial statement issued by the LAPD’s Mission Division Sunday, “A 22-year-old army veteran, recently returned from Afghanistan, was shot and killed early this morning after a dispute erupted outside a party celebrating his homecoming.”
The news release also include a statement from Lt. Paul Vernon, the commanding officer of the station’s detective division.
“The ironies are obvious,” he said. “To survive as a soldier in an overseas conflict, only to be killed in your old neighborhood upon your return.”
Ft. Drum officials in New York confirmed Garcia enlisted in June 2012 and was discharged from the Army in July of this year.
During his enlistment, Garcia, who held the title of PV1, went through six months of basic training before being stationed Ft. Drum, according to Ft. Drum spokesperson Julie Halpin.
It was also later determined Garcia was not celebrating his homecoming as originally reported by the LAPD.
Police suspect the 21-year-old was caught in a feud between two rival tagging groups and may have been involved.
Vincent Estrada, 18, was arrested Tuesday in Garcia’s murder.
PV1/E-1? What a fast mover!
It was too good a story to check.
Bookmark...
lol...
What a shocker...
Not....
2 years at a time whenthere are no 2 year enlistments that I know of! And pv1 sounds like he may have been discharged a bit early..for cause of some kind!
No surprise if he ends up in some kind of gang problem!
2 years at a time whenthere are no 2 year enlistments that I know of! And pv1 sounds like he may have been discharged a bit early..for cause of some kind!
No surprise if he ends up in some kind of gang problem!
?????????Six Months? Maybe a Combat MOS has a 2 year enlistment, but non-combat is 4 at least....and a combat MOS is One-station basic training that's 15(?) weeks.
There is so much wrong in this report, we can only speculate on what is accurate.
My guess is the LAPD got its info from a family member and had no reason to think it was inaccurate.
The “six months” could be six weeks of basic and then off to Fort Drum for more training in some MOS.
Or he could have spent six months in the brig.
As far as 2 year enlistment, that is the shortest time span you can enlist for...from usmilitary.about.com
“For example, let’s say you enlist in the Army on a two-year active duty contract. At the end of the two years, you separate from active duty. For the next six years, you are subject to recall to active duty at any time, if the Army feels they need you to help supplement active duty or reserve deployments. “
So, who really knows?
The end result is the same, he is dead and some “tagger” is in custody.
Either way, it is sad to see “tagging” being so violent. What a ridiculous lifestyle.
You guess wrong.
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