Manchester Man Sentenced In Teen Shooting, Car-Ramming Case

MANCHESTER, CT — A Manchester man who entered a guilty plea in a 2022 shooting and car-ramming case has been ordered to spend more than two years in prison.

Hartford Judicial District State's Attorney Sharmese L. Walcott Tuesday announced that Judge David P. Gold has sentenced Jaime Garcia, 46, of Manchester, to 27 months in prison for a September 2022 incident in Manchester in which one teen was shot and hit another was hit by a vehicle.

Garcia pleaded guilty in Hartford Superior Court on April 29 to both first- and second-degree assault.

The case dates back to Sept. 1, 2022, when Manchester Police received a report of a shooting in town. When they arrived at the scene, officers were met by a group of juveniles, including one who was suffering from a gunshot wound, according to case records.

The youths told police that they were running through a neighborhood playing a game called "manhunt" and, at one point during the game, Garcia exited his home and began chasing one of the youths down a street, according to case records. He then reached into his pocket, pulled out a gun and fired multiple shots, according to case records.

One of the bullets hit one of the youths, according to case records.

Garcia then went back to his home, climbed into a vehicle and began looking for more of the youths. When he located one, he pulled forward, flashed the gun and struck the youth with the vehicle, according to case records.

At Tuesday's hearing, Garcia was sentenced to 10 years in prison, suspended after 27 months served, Walcott said. He also received three years of probation. The State had requested the maximum prison term of 12 years, suspended after six-and-a-half, with three years of probation.

"The mothers of the victims courageously faced the man who harmed their children and spoke from the heart at sentencing, before an open courtroom and the court," Walcott said. "These teens, 15 and 16 years old, were playing a game when they were shot and chased down by an adult in a vehicle with a firearm. "

Walcott continued, "The defendant's actions were dangerous to not only the youth playing in the neighborhood that night, but also to every person outside that night in the neighborhood. The defendant's criminal actions have had an impact on relations and safety in the community. It has eroded the thread of trust that often runs through a neighborhood. The victims' presence at today's hearing was meaningful and I want to take this time to acknowledge their comments and presence at every step of the process."

The case was prosecuted by Supervisor Assistant State’s Attorney Robert Diaz with the assistance of Inspector Luis Rodriguez.