Police Allege Murder Plot in Shooting Case

At first, the late-night shooting appeared unremarkable: A man awakened by noises confronted and critically wounded an intruder in his garage.

But it turned out the intruder was his sister-in-law.

Then that strange twist escalated into a bizarre murder plot, police asserted Saturday. They said that the man’s wife and her sister were conspiring to kill him.

Nicole A. Garza, 32, wife of Jose Garza, the intended victim of the alleged plot, was arrested late Friday at the couple’s Sylmar home on suspicion of attempted murder, police said Saturday.

Los Angeles Police Det. Lindy Gligorijevic said more arrest warrants have been issued but declined to elaborate, citing a court gag order. The warrants have been sealed. A terse written statement from the police said the motive for the alleged plot is unknown.

Police arrested Nicole Garza’s sister, Lynette LaFontaine-Trujillo, Wednesday night after she broke into the couple’s garage and was shot by Jose Garza.

LaFontaine-Trujillo, 35, remained in critical condition at Providence Holy Cross Medical Center in Mission Hills on Saturday, police said.

Following the shooting, police uncovered “more information that linked up the wife with a conspiracy to dispatch Mr. Garza to his ancestors,” said Sgt. Robert Williams of the LAPD’s Foothill Division.

Police said the Garzas reported that they heard sounds coming from their garage in the 13700 block of Herrick Avenue at about 10:50 p.m. Wednesday. Jose Garza got up to investigate. He confronted LaFontaine-Trujillo in the garage, and the two exchanged gunfire, they said. LaFontaine-Trujillo was hit in the upper body but Garza was not hit.

Two days later, police returned to the residence to arrest Nicole Garza.

The Garzas, both attorneys, have three small children, a 4-year-old girl and two boys, ages 3 and 16 months, neighbors said. Jose Garza also has adult children from another marriage.

Neighbors on the quiet street in a horse-keeping neighborhood expressed shock at Nicole Garza’s arrest.

The Garzas appeared to be a happy couple and were often seen taking their children for walks in the afternoon--with Jose carrying his smallest son on his back, neighbors said. Only a few months ago, Nicole threw a birthday bash for her husband, one woman recalled.

“They are a very sweet couple,” said another woman, who asked not to be identified. “It’s shocking. . . . [Nicole Garza] is the sweetest woman and a good mother.”

Jose Garza was not at the couple’s neatly kept home Saturday afternoon. A brand-new black Acura was parked in the driveway.

A man who identified himself as a family friend said he was staying there to take care of the Garzas’ children in their absence but declined to comment further.

Neighbors said that after the shooting, Nicole had told some acquaintances that the burglary occurred because her sister, who was recently divorced, was jealous of her and Jose.

Jose and Nicole Garza were seen together after the shooting, and it appeared there was no trouble between them, neighbors said.

A neighbor said Jose Garza works for a city attorney in the area. Ted Goldstein, a spokesman for the Los Angeles city attorney’s office, said that a Jose Garza works for the agency as a deputy city attorney but could not confirm that he is the same man.

Times staff writers Martha L. Willman, Ann W. O’Neill and Jose Cardenas contributed to this story.