Horror details after four bodies found in ‘executions’ in Palm Springs as teenagers who were the target of shootings

A SUSPECT was found guilty of shooting dead four people, including three teenagers, as horror details about their killings emerged at the trial.

On Monday a jury found 23-year-old Jose Larin-Garcia guilty of four counts of murder and will now decide whether to sentence him to death.

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The verdict came after less than an hour of deliberation, months of testimony and two trials, the first of which ended in mistrial as the jury reached no conclusion.

Prosecutors described the Palm Spring deaths on February 3, 2019 as a drug deal gone awry.

Larin-Garcia was charged with the deaths of Yuliana Garcia, 17, Jacob Montgomery, 19, Juan Duarte Raya, 18, and Carlos Campos Rivera, 25.

Riverside County Prosecutor Samantha Paixo called the killings “executions” after at least two gunshot wounds were found to the head of each victim.

Police officers were called to the 3700 block of East Sunny Dunes Road with reports of a car accident in which the bodies of Jacob, Yuliana and Juan were found.

Carlos’ body was later discovered a few blocks away on Canon Drive

Paixo added that blood spatter samples produced as evidence showed the shooter was in the back seat of the car.

Since Larin-Garcia was the only person who escaped the car alive, the prosecutor concluded that he is the only possible shooter.

Meanwhile, the defense argued that he was the sole survivor who fled when someone else started shooting.

John Dolan, Larin-Garcia’s attorney, said: “One person exits the scene.

“No witness saw Larin-Garcia running in the direction he was found under the truck… He hid under the truck because he was dodging the gunman. He was scared to death.

“Larin-Garcia is hiding from him, not from law enforcement.”

Larin-Garcia was found by officers hiding under a truck just blocks from where his victims were found.

He was then taken to the hospital for treatment for a laceration, but left in his gown that night without being discharged by doctors.

Detectives arrested the teenager at an Indian bus stop shortly before departure.

Paxio’s rebuttal read, “There is no evidence of another person exiting this Green Corolla”.

She added: “Four people within minutes. Every single shot Larin-Garcia fired on February 3, 2019 was an aimed kill. Every single one of them.

“Larin-Garcia is not only an executioner, he is also a coward.

“He shot Duarte-Raya in the back of the head, he didn’t even get a chance to defend himself.”

Dolan announced his plan to appeal Monday’s verdict before a room full of victims’ families.

Dolan told News Channel 3: “I’m very disappointed, upset and I’m going to throw up now.

“Terrible verdict, the worst I’ve seen in 45 years of practice.

“The jury came back after 30 minutes and never reviewed 1,000 exhibits and obviously didn’t discuss much about four counts of murder.”

The jury began deliberations Monday morning after closing arguments last week.

Before noon on Monday, court officials announced that the verdict would be read in the afternoon.

Larin-Garcia is now considered eligible for the death penalty after the jury concluded he committed multiple murders and waited to kill his victims.

That part of the trial begins Wednesday and the death penalty can only be imposed if the jury is unanimous.

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