PHOENIX — A Phoenix man was arrested after stabbing his father so many times, the knife broke, according to court records.
Phoenix police report that on Friday, March 1, they were called to a home near 44th Street and Roeser Road after a witness observed mail collecting in a resident’s mailbox.
Police discovered Clemente Valenzuela Garcia decomposing in the home.
Police say he died from multiple stabs wounds to "multiple planes of his body."
It is believed Clemente died on February 22.
At the crime scene, police also allegedly found a broken knife blade and bloody footprints leading away from the victim’s body.
Family members reported to police that Clemente and his son, Erik Joseph Garcia, 25, owned a truck together and that the truck was missing.
Police also found an "extensive domestic violence history at the residence."
A witness later reportedly gave police a social media video that shows Erik saying, "He deserved it. Everybody’s happy without him. I was done with him because I'm a man now. I'm free."
Upon his arrest, Erik reportedly told police that he was tired of being yelled at, and he stabbed Clemente in the chest, multiple times until the knife broke.
Police say shoes found in the bed of Erik's truck match the bloody footprints at the scene.
Erik Garcia is being held without bond for first-degree murder.
If you or someone you know is the victim of domestic or sexual violence, there are several local and national organizations offering resources. Anyone in need of immediate assistance should contact either the Maricopa County Shelter Line at 480-890-3039, the National 24-Hour Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673), or the Arizona Coalition to End Sexual and Domestic Violence at 602-279-2900. A number of organizations are available 24 hours a day for anyone at risk of experiencing domestic or sexual violence. See a directory of domestic violence programs here.
