First, he was accused of Home Depot theft ring. Now, it’s killing a motorist while drunk

Iosvany Garcia was already facing prison time after Miami-Dade police last year accused him of being part of a massive ring stealing power tools from dozens of Home Depot stores across Florida.

His legal problems just got a lot more serious.

Prosecutors have charged Garcia after toxicology tests showed he was drunk when he struck and killed a man on a motorcycle on the Palmetto Expressway the night after Hurricane Irma swept across South Florida. At the time of the crash, Garcia was free on bail awaiting trial for the alleged Home Depot thefts.

He was charged last week with DUI manslaughter for the death of 42-year-old Jesus Darmar Leon-Pereira. State troopers say Garcia hit Leon-Pereira on the evening of Sept. 11 near the Northwest 103rd Street exit.

Garcia smelled of alcohol, failed a roadside sobriety test, broke into tears, asked not to be charged because it would “ruin his life” and then admitted he drank four or five beers, according to an arrest report.

The 42-year-old remains in a Miami-Dade jail awaiting trial on both cases. He pleaded not guilty on Friday. His defense attorney could not immediately be reached for comment.

Garcia was one of six people arrested in December for the Home Depot capers.

Investigators believe the group stole over $650,000 worth of power tools from over 100 Home Depot stores in Florida between February and September 2016. Stores in Georgia were also hit.

Miami-Dade prosecutors said the group would hide power tools inside cabinets, then buy the cabinets and whisk away the tools to sell on the streets. Sometimes, the ring would hit five or six stores a day, often returning the cabinets within minutes for full refunds — but only after removing the power tools hidden inside.

He’s charged with organized scheme to defraud, dealing in stolen property and dozens of counts of grand theft. His defense attorney on the Home Depot case declined to comment.

This story was originally published October 3, 2017 at 3:36 PM with the headline "First, he was accused of Home Depot theft ring. Now, it’s killing a motorist while drunk."