Nevada man arrested in death of Balboa Peninsula resident
Newport Beach police have detained a Nevada man suspected in the death of a Balboa Peninsula resident.
Anthony Thomas Garcia, 56, of Carson City was arrested July 28 in the Nevada capital by local deputies with help from Newport police.
He is awaiting extradition to Orange County, where the district attorney’s office will handle any criminal charges, Newport Beach police spokeswoman Jennifer Manzella said Thursday.
Authorities said Garcia is a suspect in the death of Abelardo “Abby” Estacion, 81, who was found dead at his 16th Street home on April 11, 2015.
Police said Thursday that the circumstances of Estacion’s death were suspicious, but weren’t immediately certain it was a homicide, Manzella explained. Detectives have been working on the case for 16 months.
Police declined to give additional details, including Garcia’s alleged involvement.
Until now, investigators believed that making details public would have comprised their efforts, she said.
“It was a really sensitive case with numerous complicating factors,” Manzella said.
Newport police are asking those with additional information to call Sgt. Ryan Peters or Detective Justin Morouse at (949) 644-3790. Anonymous tips can be left at (800) 500-NBPD.
According to paid obituaries, Estacion was a longtime resident of Newport and member of the Santa Ana Elks Lodge. He is survived by his partner of more than 25 years and three sons.
Estacion, a U.S. Navy veteran originally from the Philippines, co-started a foundation based in his native country but funded by American donors.
The Estacion Educational Foundation’s mission was to create a better quality of life for Filipinos through college scholarships, according to BakitWhy, an online website with content related to Filipino-American lifestyles.
In a 2012 interview with the site, Estacion credited the G.I. Bill he received after his Navy service with helping him get an accounting degree from Pepperdine University and a better lot in life.
“If I wasn’t given the opportunity to go to college, I would probably still be in the Philippines, still vending pencils and chips and water on the streets at my age of 78,” Estacion said.
Twitter: @BradleyZint
