A man suspected of killing a stranger in Pacific Beach more than three years ago has been extradited to San Diego to face a murder charge, authorities said.
Felipe Villegas, 30, pleaded not guilty Friday in San Diego Superior Court to murder, as well as an allegation of using a firearm in the killing of Mary Garcia, 65, on Sept. 13, 2022. He is the second man taken into custody in the case – San Diego police detectives initially suspected her son of the crime.
Villegas was booked into San Diego Central Jail on Wednesday. He was arrested in Texas three days after Garcia’s death for his alleged part in an armed robbery and carjacking. The extradition to San Diego remained on hold for nearly 42 months as the Texas case proceeded, officials said.
Patrol officers responding to a report of an injured person found Garcia on the beach after midnight near the western terminus of Reed Avenue. Several people tried to aid her and paramedics took her to a hospital, but doctors there pronounced her dead.
Villegas remains in custody without bail and faces up to 50 years to life in state prison if convicted. Police have disclosed no motive for the slaying of Garcia.
“There does not appear to be any known connection between the victim and the suspect in this case,” acting Lt. Christopher Leahy said Friday.
The same day Garcia was killed, detectives arrested her son, Daniel Caldera. He pleaded not guilty to murder and spent a week in jail before authorities turned their focus to Villegas as Garcia’s alleged killer, dropped all charges and freed Caldera.
