A felon accused of gunning down a 51-year-old woman during a confrontation in a Riverside park, stemming from a long-running feud, pleaded not guilty Monday to murder and other charges.
Angela Ann Garcia, 50, of Riverside was arrested in early February following a Riverside Police Department investigation into the slaying of Tuesday Perez, also of Riverside.
Along with murder, Garcia is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm, probation violations and sentence-enhancing gun and great bodily injury allegations.
She was arraigned Monday before Riverside County Superior Court Judge Melissa Hale, who scheduled a felony settlement conference for July 22 at the Riverside Hall of Justice.
The defendant is being held in lieu of $2 million bail at the Robert Presley Jail.
According to Riverside police Officer Ryan Railsback, shortly after 4 a.m. on Feb. 1, Garcia encountered Perez on the perimeter of Villegas Park in the 3000 block of Esperanza Street, and a confrontation ensued.
“The preliminary investigation revealed Garcia had been involved in an ongoing dispute with the victim, which led them to the park,” Railsback said.
The confrontation turned physical, and the defendant pulled a handgun, fatally shooting Perez, the police spokesman alleged.
He said Garcia fled the location, and witnesses called 911. Paramedics reached the park within minutes, but Perez was pronounced dead at the scene.
Robbery-Homicide Unit detectives developed leads confirming that Garcia was the alleged shooter, and an alert was broadcast to regional law enforcement agencies, Railsback said. Within a few hours, “the suspect was located driving in Moreno Valley,” he said.
“A slow-speed pursuit ensued, but sheriff’s deputies successfully stopped the vehicle and safely took her into custody near Ramona Expressway and Perris Boulevard (in Perris),” Railsback said.
Garcia suffered minor injuries during the fight with Perez and required medical attention before she was booked into jail.
Court records show the defendant has multiple documented prior felony convictions going back to the mid-1990s, and prior to that when she was a juvenile.