Behind the Badge
Anaheim Police on Friday identified the victim of a fatal shooting in Peralta Canyon Park on Thursday as Claudia Espino Garcia, 32, of Tustin.
Garcia’s estranged husband, Humberto Servin, 49, was identified Thursday night as the suspect accused of gunning down the mother of their three children for a motive that remains under investigation, the APD said in a news release May 13.
The length of the couple’s relationship and details surrounding their estrangement still are under investigation, according to the news release.
A firearm was recovered in Servin’s car and police believe it is the murder weapon but forensic testing is needed to confirm it is, the APD said.
The genders and ages of the couple’s three children were not made public. The children are in the care of Orange County Social Services, the news release said.
The killing occurred around 2:40 p.m. Thursday in the park at 115 N. Pinney Drive, which is next to Crescent Elementary School.
Upon arrival, officers found Garcia seated in the driver’s seat of a white vehicle suffering from gunshot wounds.
Police officers and personnel from Anaheim Fire & Rescue performed life-saving measures and Garcia was transported to Orange County Global Hospital, but she died there.
Several eyewitnesses to the shooting, including children who attend Crescent Elementary, provided a detailed description of Servin and the vehicle.
Within 15 minutes, police officers located Servin’s Gray 2002 Dodge Ram parked in the parking lot of the Anaheim Police Department East District substation at 8201 E. Santa Ana Canyon Road.
He was arrested without incident.
With early intervention, domestic-violence murder can be prevented. An excellent resource is the Orange County Family Justice Center in Anaheim. The OCFJC is a one-stop place for survivors of domestic violence, as well as child abuse, sexual assault and elder/dependent adult abuse, to secure various social services. For more information, click here, or call 714-765-1645.
