Lompoc man who lit his father on fire convicted of murder, ruled sane

April 23, 2026

Joseph Garcia Jr.

By JOSH FRIEDMAN

A Lompoc man who set his father on fire is facing life in prison after a jury convicted him of first-degree murder and found that he was legally sane at the time of the crime.

The Santa Barbara County jury also found true a special circumstance of torture. As a result of the torture enhancement, Joseph Garcia Jr. faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole, according to the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office. 

Joseph Garcia Jr. argued that he did not plan to kill his 68-year-old father Joseph Garcia Sr., but that setting his father’s hair on fire was a desperate attempt to get the media or law enforcement to listen to him.

For months, Joseph Garcia Jr. was convinced his father, his husband and some members of the Lompoc Police Department were involved in human trafficking, prostitution and pornography, he said. He called multiple law enforcement agencies, including the FBI and local police, but no one took him seriously.

On the afternoon of June 11, 2022, concerned that his father and his husband were having an affair while involved in human trafficking, Joseph Garcia Jr. went over to his father’s apartment on North D Street.

“They tortured me psychologically,” Joseph Garcia Jr. told CalCoastNews. “I felt trapped.”

While in his father’s apartment, Joseph Garcia Jr. said he spotted objects he believed his father stole from him and they began arguing.

A 9-1-1 caller reported Joseph Garcia Jr. was beating his father and officers were dispatched to the apartment, but the suspect refused to open the door.

In an attempt to get media or law enforcement to take his allegations of human trafficking seriously, Joseph Garcia Jr. lit his father’s hair on fire, he said.

However, Joseph Garcia Jr. explained he used too much accelerant and his father’s head and upper body was burning. He then attempted to douse the fire with orange juice, but was not successful.

On his father’s lap, a small dog named Charlie was also burning.

Officers then forced the door open and discovered the father on fire. Officers placed the father on the ground and extinguished the blaze.

After 10 days in the hospital, Joseph Garcia Sr. succumbed to his injuries.

“It was never my intention to kill my father,” Joseph Garcia Jr. told CalCoastNews. “I was trying to attract media attention. I regret it very much.”

On June 11, 2022, officers arrested Joseph García Jr. and booked him in the Santa Barbara County Jail on charges of attempted murder, false imprisonment, criminal threats, assault with a deadly weapon, mayhem, elder abuse and animal cruelty. After his father’s death, he was also charged with murder and animal cruelty.

In Sept. 2022, a Santa Barbara County Superior Court judge found Joseph Garcia Jr. mentally incompetent to stand trial.

During his competency hearing, psychologist Dr. Susan Ferrant testified that Joseph Garcia Jr. suffered from a delusional disorder, noting that people with this disorder cannot be swayed from their beliefs.

Eventually, the court determined the now 43-year-old Joseph Garcia Jr. was competent to stand trial. The two-phase trial began on March 9.

On April 13, at the conclusion of the first phase, the jury convicted Garcia of first-degree murder with the enhancement for torture. The second phase of the trial concluded on Tuesday, with the jury finding that Garcia was sane at the time of the offense. 

“This verdict reflects exactly what justice looks like for one of the most disturbing cases our office has prosecuted,” District Attorney John Savrnoch said in a statement. “The jury heard the evidence and held this defendant fully accountable. A finding of first-degree murder with the torture special circumstance sends an unambiguous message that this community will not tolerate acts of extreme cruelty. I am deeply proud of Senior Deputy District Attorney Madison Whitmore, DA Investigator Megan Harrison, and the dedicated officers of the Lompoc Police Department whose tireless work made this result possible.”

Garcia’s sentencing is scheduled for June 6 in Santa Maria Superior Court.

Charlie the dog ran from the apartment after officers arrived. He was later found, treated and adopted.