Man Indicted in 1997 Slaying of Girlfriend
A 54-year-old Ventura man has been indicted by the Ventura County Grand Jury on murder charges in connection with the strangulation of his girlfriend a little more than a year ago, authorities said Friday.
Jose Maria Garcia is accused of killing Marsha Ann Lane, a 43-year-old transient, on the steps of Lincoln Elementary School in Ventura on Feb. 17, 1997--just after his release from a six-month term at Ventura County Jail on a drug charge.
Witnesses told police that Garcia and Lane were dating each other and the afternoon before her death were seen arguing at a free lunch for the homeless in west Ventura.
Garcia, who was arrested last month, is scheduled to be arraigned March 10, according to Deputy Dist. Atty. Ron Bamieh. Garcia remained in County Jail in lieu of $250,000 bail.
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