Paul Raymond Garcia Pleads Guilty to Involuntary Manslaughter

Paul Raymond Garcia, 19, of Mescalero, New Mexico, admitted in federal court today that he killed a Mescalero Apache woman while driving drunk — a crash that shattered lives and exposed the deadly cost of reckless decisions on tribal land.

Garcia pled guilty in Las Cruces federal court to one count of involuntary manslaughter, stemming from a March 23, 2015, crash on the Mescalero Apache Indian Reservation in Otero County. The collision occurred when Garcia, then a minor, lost control of his vehicle due to alcohol impairment, slamming into the victim and causing fatal injuries.

Arrested in January 2016 on a criminal complaint, Garcia was later indicted on June 22, 2016, on the same federal charge. He appeared before a U.S. District Court judge today, where he formally admitted guilt, acknowledging that alcohol had robbed him of clear judgment and control over the vehicle at the time of the crash.

According to court records, Garcia’s blood alcohol level and erratic driving before impact support the prosecution’s claim of reckless conduct. The victim, a fellow tribal member whose name has not been released, died at the scene. No other vehicles were involved.

The case was investigated jointly by the Mescalero Agency of the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ Office of Justice Services and the New Mexico State Police. Federal jurisdiction applies because the crime occurred on tribal land, where the U.S. government prosecutes major crimes under the Major Crimes Act.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron O. Jordan, handling the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office, emphasized the tragic preventability of the death. Sentencing is scheduled for a later date, and Garcia faces up to eight years in federal prison, according to federal sentencing guidelines for involuntary manslaughter.