Carlos Garcia of and his seven-year-old daughter, Yaxtel Tapia, were found dead in the family car that was parked next to Macy’s, where both suffered from gunshot wounds in an apparent murder-suicide.
The two bodies was then removed from the black Kia Soul that belonged to the family. Paramedics attempted to revive the pair but both died at the scene. And while the girl’s age has been reported as both seven and eight-years-old, the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office is confirming that she was, in fact, seven.
Yaxtel and her parents had been shopping together at the mall before the shooting, Police Chief Terry McManus said. Police received a 911 call from Yaxtel’s mother saying that her husband was attempting to kill himself on Sunday afternoon.
According to the girl’s aunt, the 7-year-old girl’s name is Yaxtel G. Tapia. She was a student at Mintie White Elementary School in Watsonville. Mintie White Elementary School is providing grief counselors for students as they learn of their classmate’s death.
The shocking double shooting left many parents struggling to comprehend how a father could kill his own daughter.
Sheriff Jim Hart said, “As the father of four children I can’t imagine the level of grief this family is going through right now. My thoughts and prayers are with the Tapia family and the community.”
The director for the Suicide Crisis Line, Carly Galarneau said the father may not have realized the consequences of his actions while in “a state of emotional desperation.”
“It becomes really difficult for people to think clearly or to even realize the consequences of the actions that they’re taking,” Galarneau said.
Maria Tapia, writing on behalf of Guadalupe Tapia on this GoFundMe page raising money for funeral expenses, says, “We need help raising money for our beloved daughter, granddaughter, niece and cousin Yaxtel G. Tapia. Money will be used for her funeral arrangements to put our beautiful angel to rest. We hope to raise the money in time to put her to rest and be able to say our last words. The loss of our beloved little girl was very sudden and unexpected. Our family doesn’t have the necessary funds at the moment and we would really appreciate the help.”
