In the late afternoon of December 29, 2025, a tragedy unfolded within the normally bustling environment of a Richmond, California, IHOP restaurant. Romario Raso Garcia, a 30-year-old man originally from Mexico City, was at his job in the kitchen on Klose Way in the Hilltop Plaza. His coworkers discovered him unconscious and alone, suffering from what initially appeared to be a head injury.
The initial call to emergency services was for medical assistance, but first responders at the scene quickly determined that the injuries were suspicious and not accidental.
Richmond Police were dispatched to the restaurant at approximately 1:43 p.m. Despite the immediate life-saving efforts of emergency personnel, Garcia succumbed to his injuries at the scene. The investigation soon shifted from a medical emergency to a homicide as detectives found evidence that he had been shot. His family, when publicly identifying him, shared their heartbreak, with his sister stating that he had been deprived of his life at his workplace. The incident marked the sixth homicide in the city of Richmond for the year.
The day after the fatal shooting, a significant development occurred in the nearby city of San Pablo. On December 30, a 44-year-old San Pablo man, who police had identified as a person of interest in Garcia's death, approached officers in the parking lot of the San Pablo Police Department. Police reported a language barrier prevented communication. Shortly after the attempted interaction, the man shot himself. He was left in critical condition following the apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. While police are actively investigating, no arrests have been made in the killing of Romario Raso Garcia.
