In the late hours of a Wednesday in Midvale, Utah, the life of 40-year-old Hispanic male, Raymond Paul Willie Vasquez, was cut short by gunfire. On March 20, 2019, at approximately 9 p.m., Vasquez was at a Maverik convenience store located at 7728 S. Main St. when he was fatally shot. The incident was not a random act of violence; authorities later confirmed that the victim and the perpetrator knew each other.
The investigation quickly identified the suspect as 24-year-old Jose Luis
Garcia. Following the shooting, Garcia fled the scene in a black Jeep Wrangler, leading police on a chase. The pursuit ended in Sandy when Garcia's vehicle crashed near Peruvian Park Elementary School. When officers approached the wrecked Jeep, they discovered Garcia was deceased from what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Subsequent investigations revealed more about the individuals involved. Vasquez had been granted parole in December 2018 after serving time for child sex abuse. While police did not officially comment on a motive, the connection between the two men was a key element of the case. The case was ultimately determined to be a murder-suicide, with no outstanding suspects.
