San Diego

A Santee woman pleaded innocent Friday to a charge of murdering her boyfriend, a Marine who she claimed had wanted her to shoot him in the shoulder to get him out of the service.

Yolanda Marie Garcia, 19, was ordered held on $50,000 bail--a figure that brought a protest from the victim’s mother in court to the judge.

San Diego Municipal Judge Melinda Lasater told Eleanor Jackson to confer with the prosecutor, Denise McGuire, on the case. Jackson told Lasater the bail figure was too low.

Anthony Jackson, 20, of San Diego, died Sept. 24 after being shot in the head.

Garcia’s attorney, Merle Schneidewind, said in court that Garcia shot Jackson in an agreement so Jackson could get out of the Marine Corps.

“It was a very tragic accident that happened here,” said Schneidewind.

After the arraignment, relatives of Jackson yelled “Murderer! Murderer!” to one of Garcia’s relatives in the courthouse hallway.

McGuire had asked for bail to be set at $100,000. She disputed the defendant’s version of the shooting.

Garcia is on a leave of absence from her job at a Wendy’s restaurant, Schneidewind said, adding, “She has no place to go. She’s been a responsible girl.”

Lasater set a bail review for Wednesday, and a preliminary hearing for Oct. 30.

Garcia remains in the Las Colinas County Jail for women in Santee on the $50,000 bail.