Do you know who murdered 26 year old Ray Anthony Garcia in 2004?
Ray Anthony Garcia Jr., a 26-year-old Hispanic man known to his loved ones as "Ray Ray," was a father of three who was deeply connected to his family in Colton, California. He had two sons, Fabian, 8, and Adrian, 6, and a 6-year-old daughter, Raelene. His life was rooted in the Colton community, where he was surrounded by a large and loving family, including his mother and stepfather, Veronica and Jerry Garcia, his three sisters, Erika, Joanne, and Nicole, and his grandparents, Henrietta Resendez and Juan Ramirez of San Bernardino. He was part of a close-knit family that included a step-brother, two brothers-in-law, a niece, three nephews, and numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins. Friends and family remembered him as a man who was loved very much.
The course of his life was violently cut short on the night of Monday, October 25, 2004. Ray was at the CCH apartment complex, located at 2170 N. Rancho Avenue in his hometown of Colton, when he was shot multiple times. The Colton Police Department received an emergency call reporting the shooting and dispatched officers to the scene. When they arrived, they found Ray suffering from critical gunshot wounds. Despite the immediate response from law enforcement and medical personnel, his injuries were too severe, and he died at the apartment complex.
The investigation into Ray’s death revealed it was a drive-by shooting. Authorities and community members came to believe the homicide was gang-related. According to law enforcement records, Ray was a member of the North Side Colton street gang. Detectives who investigated the killing spoke with members of local gangs and learned that Ray’s associates in North Side Colton believed that their rivals, the West Side Verdugo gang, were responsible for his death. This information established a clear, albeit tragic, context for the shooting, pointing to the ongoing and violent conflicts between street gangs in the area.
The killing of Ray Garcia was considered a significant event in the feud between the two gangs and prompted a response from law enforcement and the community. During subsequent investigations into gang activity in Colton, detectives found mementos from Ray’s funeral while searching the homes of North Side Colton members, indicating the lasting impact his death had within his circle. The investigation into his murder, however, has not led to an arrest, and the case has grown cold over the years.
More than two decades have passed since Ray Garcia was killed, and his case remains an unsolved homicide with the Colton Police Department. His death left a void in the lives of his three young children and the extensive family that mourned him. His funeral services were held in early November 2004, beginning with a rosary at Colton Funeral Home, followed by a Mass at Immaculate Conception Church and interment at Mt. View Cemetery.
The case is a painful reminder of the devastating impact of gang violence on families and communities. While years have gone by, the hope for justice for Ray Anthony Garcia Jr. has not faded. The Colton Police Department continues to seek information from the public that could lead to a breakthrough in this cold case. Anyone with knowledge about the shooting that occurred on October 25, 2004, is urged to come forward to help bring closure to his family and hold his killer or killers accountable.
