In what began as a domestic dispute, 52-year-old Mauricio Garcia was shot and killed in his Columbia, South Carolina home on March 13, 2025. The events of that fatal night started to unfold when his girlfriend, 44-year-old Kristen Berger, called 911 to report that Garcia had assaulted her. However, when officers from the Forest Acres Police Department arrived at the Partridge Drive residence, they found no evidence to support her claim of assault.
Despite the lack of evidence, the police
attempted to de-escalate the situation. They contacted Berger's mother, who offered to pick her up, but Berger refused this offer as well as the officers' suggestion to be taken to a hospital. Believing Garcia might be the actual victim, officers advised him to lock himself in his room to maintain separation. With no apparent crime having been committed at that point, the officers left the scene.
Approximately 90 minutes later, around 2:15 a.m., a second 911 call was made by Berger, this time reporting an accidental shooting. When police returned to the home, they discovered Garcia with a gunshot wound. He was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. Berger was found outside the house with her hands raised and was taken into custody. The firearm used in the shooting was later found to have been reported stolen.
Kristen Berger was arrested and subsequently charged with murder, possession of a weapon during a violent crime, possession of a stolen firearm, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. She was denied bond and is being held at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center. In the wake of the incident, a supervising officer involved in the initial police response resigned, although the city did not officially comment on whether this was directly related to the handling of the case.
