Paso Robles murder witness describes night of fatal shooting

The prosecution’s main witness in a murder-for-hire trial testified Monday that she tried to flee her accomplices as they drove separate vehicles hours after the murder, but crashed her car into a tree following a brief chase.

Christine Garner, 26, of Ceres spent Monday afternoon describing the night she said she assisted Maria del Carmen Granados Fajardo, 51, of Paso Robles, by driving around four people allegedly hired to attack Victor Sanchez and later collecting money following the fatal shooting Sanchez outside his apartment complex.

Prosecutors allege Sanchez, 37, was killed as part of a conspiracy orchestrated by Fajardo – Sanchez’s former girlfriend – who they argue was fueled by jealousy and anger over Sanchez’s successful $7,000 small claims lawsuit against her.

Fajardo later paid $6,000 in October 2012 for a roadside assault on Sanchez which left him with a broken arm and several cuts and bruises, prosecutors allege. Not satisfied, she then offered more money to kidnap Sanchez and shoot him in a kneecap, Garner testified.

Garner described the night of Feb. 23, 2013, when she and three men – Edgar Ontiveros, 19, Louis Henry Madrigal, 20, and Alejandro Anguiano, 20 – drove to Sanchez’s cousin’s residence and heard Sanchez in the garage.

Garner testified that her husband, David Hernandez, who she said was coordinating the crime, told one of the three men that Sanchez was likely drinking and would soon emerge to walk home.

“He said, ‘Once (Sanchez) gets out, shoot him in the leg and leave him there,” Garner said.

Garner and Hernandez then drove to Fajardo’s house, where Hernandez received a phone call after about 20 minutes, Garner said.

“He said, ‘Okay, I’ll be right there,’ ” Garner said. “Then he looked up at Carmen (Fajardo) and said (in Spanish), ‘It’s done.’ ”

Hernandez then went to meet the three men, Garner testified, while she and Fajardo drove to several gas stations where Fajardo collected cash and gave Garner a total of $8,000 to pay Hernandez.

Deputy District Attorney Craig Van Rooyen played surveillance footage from one of the gas stations to corroborate Garner’s testimony.

As she and Fajardo drove to another gas station, Garner said, the older woman received a text message from Sanchez’s father informing her that Sanchez had been found shot to death in the apartment complex driveway.

When asked by Van Rooyen to describe Fajardo’s demeanor after reading the message, Garner replied: “Stone cold.”

After receiving a call from Hernandez, Fajardo allegedly dropped Garner off to meet up with Hernandez and the three men.

The five left in two vehicles with Garner alone behind the wheel of a Honda allegedly used by the men during the killing of Sanchez, she said. The plan was to drive to Ceres, Garner said.

As she followed the men, however, Garner said she began to panic and attempted to lose the other car by turning off the highway onto a rural road. The men followed, she said, and after a short pursuit, Garner crashed the Honda into two trees on the side of the road.

Garner said she was grabbed by the men and taken into the other car as Hernandez unsuccessfully searched the Honda for Garner’s cell phone. The group then left in the other vehicle, leaving the Honda behind.

“He said to me, ‘Don’t you know what you just did? You just got us all caught,’ ” Garner recalled. “He said, ‘We’re going to (expletive) kill you.’ ”

Garner testified that she feared Hernandez would kill her if she tried to flee again, so, when word came that Garner’s family was being questioned about the murder, she travelled with him to his native Mexico.

Garner was arrested in Mexico a little over a month later. Hernandez evaded capture.

Fajardo’s attorney, Paul Phillips, suggested in opening statements that Garner was not a reliable witness and that there was no evidence connecting his client to the Sanchez’s murder.

Under cross-examination from Phillips on Monday, Garner admitted that she was a heavy drug user at the time of the alleged crimes and had smoked methamphetamine several times on Feb. 23. Garner admitted to initially lying to Van Rooyen about her drug use.

Garner has already pleaded no contest to three charges of conspiracy to commit kidnapping, robbery and being an accessory to a murder, the former charges being considered strikes under California’s Three Strikes Law.

Under her deal with prosecutors, Garner will serve eight years in state prison with credit for time served.

Hernandez and the three other men remain at large and are believed to be in Mexico.

Garner’s testimony is expected to resume Tuesday in San Luis Obispo Superior Court.

This story was originally published November 24, 2014 at 8:00 PM with the headline "Paso Robles murder witness describes night of fatal shooting."