On September 9th, 2014 APD officers were sent to Westgate Mall on a stabbing and that the suspect was still on scene running through the mall. What started out as a trespass at a nearby residence, turned into a foot chase that ended up in Westgate Mall. The suspect, a 16 year old male had run from a vacant residence with a witness chasing him. After the suspect enters the mall still running, a Westgate Mall uniformed Security Office Robert Garcia, observed the male running and believed the suspect is a possible shoplifter from one of the mall businesses. The Security Officer attempts to detain the juvenile and the suspect stabs the Officer one time in the chest. The suspect broke free and continued on running with the original witness chasing after and the Security Officer now joining the pursuit. The male suspect also stabbed another individual in the mall before being cornered in a store. By now two more individuals joined in and now the four had the suspect surrounded. As Mr. Garcia was preparing to take the suspect into custody, the juvenile still armed with a knife, stabs Mr. Garcia three more times in the upper body. One witness who had joined in the pursuit then grabbed a metal chair and struck the suspect, knocking him to the ground. The suspect was then handcuffed and taken into custody.
On behalf of Police Chief Robert Taylor and the entire Amarillo Police Department, we would like to thank and recognize Robert Garcia for his heroic actions. Had it not been for the actions of Mr. Garcia, and the other witnesses, the extremely violent suspect may have harmed more people, escaped, or both.
