Left inset: Marcio Garcia (GoFundMe). Right inset: Anthony Taylor-Manriquez (Keizer Police Department). Background: The vehicle Marcio Garcia was driving in Oregon when he was allegedly shot in the head by a group of men while leaving an In-N-Out Burger (GoFundMe).
A late-night burger run to In-N-Out ended in bloodshed for an Oregon dad and his family, with cops saying the 28-year-old was shot in the head in front of his two little boys, ages 2 and 7, after they pulled out of the drive-thru. Police have arrested two suspects and are currently seeking a third.
Ethan Adrian Armenta-Lagunas, 20, of Salem, and Gabriel “Alex” Javier, 18, also of Salem, were both arrested and booked Wednesday in Marion County on charges of first-degree assault, unlawful use of a weapon, criminal mischief and recklessly endangering another person in connection with the February shooting of Marcio Garcia.
Police in Keizer, where the incident happened, tell Law&Crime they are seeking the public”s help to locate a third suspect, Anthony Taylor-Manriquez, 22, also of Salem, who was allegedly involved.
The young man “should be considered armed and dangerous,” per cops.
“At approximately 10:15pm on February 9th … shots fired rang out near the intersection of Keizer Station Blvd and Ulali Dr NE,” according to Keizer Police. “During this incident, a vehicle with a Salem family of four (28-year-old mother and father and two children ages 2 and 7) had left In-N-Out Burger and was negotiating the intersection when their windows were shot out.”
Garcia, 28, was at an intersection near the In-N-Out when a bullet flew through his window and into the “back of his head,” according to a GoFundMe launched by his wife.
“Our family experienced something no one is ever prepared for,” the online fundraiser says. “While at Keizer Station, we were caught in a shooting. By the grace of God, we are all alive. But my husband was hit and suffered a gunshot wound.”
Garcia’s wife says “in the middle of chaos and fear, while he was injured and in pain” — and with a bullet lodged in his head — Garcia somehow “found the strength” to drive his family away from the scene “to safety,” per the GoFundMe.
“He protected our family before thinking of himself,” the fundraiser says. “That is the kind of man and father he is.”
Garcia narrowly escaped death and there “was no major brain damage,” according to his wife. “The doctors told us what we already believe — this is nothing short of a miracle,” she says. “Now he faces a long road of rest, healing, and recovery.”
Photos posted online by the Garcia family show a bullet that was removed from his head during a surgery in February. He is now home, per the GoFundMe.
Police say another person who was walking in the area was also struck by gunfire in the leg. They survived and received treatment at a local hospital.
Armenta-Lagunas was arrested early Wednesday morning by Keizer police and Salem SWAT officers after a search warrant was executed at an apartment he was at. Javier was taken into custody later in the day.
Multiple guns were allegedly found at Armenta-Lagunas’ apartment, including one that was believed to have been used in the Garcia shooting.
