Alleged accessory caught in triple murder case

Last Thursday the Federal Bureau of Investigation announced they had arrested a woman accused of being an accessory to the murders of Rebecca Ramirez and two of her children in Elmore County in 2002.

According to Capt. Mike Barclay, of the Elmore County Sheriff's Office, Maria C. Garcia, 44, was arrested without incident at a relative's home in San Jose, Calif., on Sept. 7.

Though he could not specify on the details of the arrest, Barclay said the FBI was able to capture the woman wanted in connection with Jorge A. Lopez-Orozco by conducting unspecified surveillance operations last week.

The FBI released a statement saying that information leading to Garcia's arrest was developed through the special joint fugitive investigation between the FBI, the Idaho State Police and the Elmore County Sheriff's Office.

"We were notified that the FBI was able to conduct surveillance of Garcia last week in San Jose," he said. "She was then identified by local authorities and approached by the FBI."

Barclay said he and another sheriff's deputy flew down to San Jose late Thursday night to help identify Garcia, whose common-law husband, Simon Lopez-Orozco, is also wanted by the FBI.

"At first she denied who she was," said Barclay, who later interviewed Garcia for more than five hours, "but then she finally admitted who she was and turned herself over for arrest."

Garcia and Simon are accused of helping Jorge flee the Mountain Home area after the grisly triple homicide in 2002.

Police found the bodies of Jorge's girlfriend, Ramirez, and her two youngest children, 4-year-old Ricardo Ramirez and 2-year-old Miguel Hernandez, Aug. 11, 2002 in a burned car south of Mountain Home.

They had been shot before their bodies were burned inside the car, in an apparent effort to destroy the evidence.

Ramirez was last seen at her father's home in Nyssa, Ore., with Jorge and her two youngest sons.

Jorge was last known to be in the San Jose area in 2002 and authorities fear he may have fled to Mexico to avoid prosecution.

Barclay said that Garcia is being charged with three counts of accessory to murder for helping Jorge escape. He also said that while interviewing her, Garcia revealed that she had indeed helped her brother-in-law.

"During the interrogation, she told me that she had given him money and transportation," said Barclay.

Elmore County Prosecutor Kristina Schindele said that they are glad to have Garcia in custody but that it is really too early to talk about prosecution.

"We really can't talk about prosecuting her yet," she said, "but I see no reason why, when it comes time, she won't be prosecuted here, in Elmore County."

Garcia is currently being held in a Santa Clara County jail awaiting a court hearing concerning her extradition back to Idaho.

"She is set to appear in court for an identification hearing next week," said Barclay, "and after that, we'll know if she's going to waive extradition or not."

If that happens, Barclay said Schindele's office would have to request a Governor's warrant for Garcia in order to extradite her.

During the interview, Barclay said Garcia did not comment on the whereabouts of either her husband, Simon, or her brother-in-law, Jorge.

Jorge, who has been on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitive List since 2005, is still at large and wanted on three counts of first-degree murder. Simon faces the same charges as Garcia, three counts of accessory to murder.

Barclay said that he is hopeful the Garcia arrest will lead to the eventual capture of the other two suspects.

"Along with the FBI, our office receives at least three tips a week concerning this case," he said, "with each one we gather more and more information."

In order to help track down Jorge, the case has also been featured on such television shows as "America's Most Wanted."

Investigators would not comment on the pursuit to locate the remaining federal fugitives except that the investigation is continuing.

Special Agent Patrick A. Kiernan, of the FBI's Salt Lake City Office, said that all leads are aggressively being pursued.

"Clearly the FBI is interested in finding where the other two suspects are located," he said. "All I can say is that our investigation on this triple murder is continuing."

There is a $100,000 reward for information leading to the arrest Jorge A. Lopez-Orozco.