Man fatally shoots son-in-law accused of trying to set house on fire, NM cops say
A 32-year-old man accused of “holding his wife down on her knees by her hair” and then trying to set the family’s home on fire was fatally shot by his father-in-law as “fire was still active” on the porch, police in New Mexico said.
The man, Jeremy Garcia, was pronounced dead at the scene, the New Mexico State Police said in a Jan. 17 post on Facebook.
Authorities still are investigating, and no charges have been filed, police said.
Officials didn’t name the father-in-law or other family members involved in the incident.
State police were called in to investigate on Jan. 13 after sheriff’s deputies in Taos County responded to a home in Peñasco “in reference to a report of domestic violence and arson incident, which resulted in a shooting,” according to police.
The father-in-law and mother-in-law said Garcia – their daughter’s husband – tried to set the home on fire “with the three family members inside,” police said.
“Garcia and his wife had gotten into a physical altercation,” and the wife freed herself and locked Garcia out of the house, police said.
Soon after, “flames were observed on the porch,” according to police.
The father-in-law “confronted Garcia through a window of the residence while the fire was still active, and fired at least one round from a firearm, striking Garcia,” police said.
The father-in-law then put out the fire, according to police.
Peñasco is about a 115-mile drive northeast from Albuquerque.
This story was originally published January 17, 2025 at 5:41 PM with the headline "Man fatally shoots son-in-law accused of trying to set house on fire, NM cops say."
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