Crime & Safety
Watsonville Man Accused In Murder Of Co-Worker
The 30-year-old suspect was arrested for the death of the victim, 27, found in July on a sidewalk in Morgan Hill, police said.
MORGAN HILL, CA – A Watsonville man was arrested Tuesday on murder charges in connection with the July homicide of a co-worker in Morgan Hill, authorities said.
A $6 million warrant was issued for Martin Mason Garcia, 30, who reportedly was the last person to be with Curtis Stephen Stapleton before his death on July 3, the Morgan Hill Police Department said.
Garcia and Stapleton worked together at an area business, and Garica allegedly was involved in a physical altercation with the victim prior to his death, police said.
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Officers and paramedics were called July 3 at 9:40 p.m. to the 15000 block of Concord Circle in Morgan Hill for a report of an unconscious male on the sidewalk. Stapleton, 27 of Sunnyvale, was pronounced deceased at the scene, officials said.
Morgan Hill detectives and the Santa Clara County medical examiner ruled the death "suspicious" and launched a three-month investigation that subsequently found Garcia responsible, according to police.
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Gathered evidence, details of which the agency did not disclose, led to the warrant and arrest of Garcia. He was booked into the Santa Clara County Main Jail on suspicion of murder.
A GoFundMe account was created following Stapleton's death to raise funds for his family, including a young daughter. The account at https://www.gofundme.com/curti... had raised nearly $9,400 as of this morning.
"Curtis was a young brother/friend in the union with a promising future, that was taken from us way to early, this man always had a smile on that was contagious," the fundraiser stated. "Unfortunately Curtis left behind a Young daughter that was the love of his life. Anytime he’d talk about her he’d start to glow."
Anyone with information on the case can call Detective Price at (408) 779-2101 or the anonymous tip line 408.947-STOP (7867).
--Images from left: Martin Mason Garcia; Curtis Stephen Stapleton. Photos via Morgan Hill PD and GoFundMe/BAy City news contributed to this report
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