Man Shot to Death at Family Holiday Party; Uncle Arrested

A family Christmas party turned violent early Monday when a 23-year-old man was shot and killed, allegedly by his uncle, police said.

Police received an emergency call to a house in the 1400 block of East Lomita Avenue, where they found the body of Steve Anthony Garcia, who had sustained multiple gunshot wounds, according to Police Sgt. Armando Marrujo. Investigators arrested the uncle, Harvey N. Rosas, 34.

Garcia and other relatives were visiting Rosas for a holiday family gathering, but the festivities ended about 1:45 a.m., when Garcia and Rosas began arguing, Marrujo said. He did not know what the argument was about.

Rosas got a .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun and apparently began shooting at his nephew, officials said.

Garcia, of Irvine, suffered gunshot wounds to the head and chest and was taken to Western Medical Center-Santa Ana, where he later died.

When police arrived at Rosas’ residence, he walked out of his home with the weapon in his hand and dropped it on the ground, Marrujo said. He was arrested without incident and booked at Orange County Jail on suspicion of murder.