Former Marine gets three years in shooting incident

A decorated Marine Corps veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan was sentenced to three years in prison Thursday after admitting his role in a shooting incident.

Carlos Garcia, 29, pleaded guilty to the reduced charge of aggravated battery during a hearing before Lake County Circuit Judge James Booras.

Garcia, who was honorably discharged as a sergeant and was awarded the Navy Commendation Medal for his service, was originally charged with attempted murder and aggravated discharge of a firearm.

Assistant State's Attorney Fred Day said Garcia was with a group of people at his residence in the 1300 block of Cedar Lake Road in Round Lake Beach on Sept. 13 of last year.

A car drove by containing five or six rival gang members of at least one person at Garcia's house, Day said, and someone at the house threw a rock at the car.

The men in the car drive off and collected golf clubs, pipes and other weapons and returned to the house to retaliate, Day said.

The group began breaking windows on vehicles parked in the driveway at Garica's house, apparently unaware Garcia was sitting in one of the cars.

Garcia got out of the car, went into the trunk and took out a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun and at least two ammunition magazines.

He began firing at the group attacking the cars and a 20-year-old Round Lake Beach man was hit in the lower back as the group broke up and ran.

Garcia continued to fire as he chased the group down the street and at one point fired at a car he believed the attackers had used to drive to his house.

But the car was not connected to the dispute and a 21-year-old woman who was driving it was shot through the thigh.

Day said both the wounded have recovered, and the 20-year-old man who was shot declined to cooperate with Garcia's prosecution.

The woman who was hit was informed of the negotiations with Garica's attorney, Day told Booras, and had approved of the proposed settlement.

Defense attorney Jed Stone of Waukegan said Garcia was an accounting student at the University of Illinois at Chicago and planned to return to his studies following his release from prison.

Stone also said Garcia has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury as a result of his service and was receiving treatment for both through the Veteran's Administration.

Day said the case against Garcia was a difficult one to resolve.

“We certainly took into consideration his service to our country and realized there were certain self-defense issues that could have been raised, Day said. “However, the fact remains that two people were shot as a result of this incident.

Day said Garcia will receive credit against his sentence for the more than a year he has spent in custody since his arrest.