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Suspect arrested in fatal shooting of South L.A. Taco Bell worker

A man poses for a photo with his arms crossed over his chest
Alejandro Garcia Galicia was shot and killed while working at a Taco Bell in South Los Angeles with his 19-year-old son.
(Garcia family)
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Authorities have arrested a man on suspicion of fatally shooting a Taco Bell employee Saturday in South Los Angeles.

The Los Angeles Police Department named 39-year-old Jonathan Madden as the suspect late Tuesday. He was arrested Monday at his home in South L.A., police said.

Madden is accused of shooting 41-year-old Alejandro Garcia Galicia shortly before 11 p.m. Saturday, police said.

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That night, Garcia was picking up an extra shift at one of two Taco Bell restaurants he worked at to support his family. His 19-year-old son, Carlos, staffed the drive-through.

A customer who had pulled up to the drive-through window tried to pay with a counterfeit bill, but Carlos refused to accept it, said Karina Garcia De Meza, Garcia’s cousin.

The 41-year-old father of three was picking up an extra shift when a customer fired through the drive-through window and killed him, police said.

Jan. 10, 2022

The interaction ended in a shooting that left the father of three dead, gunned down in front of his oldest child, police said.

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Officers responded at 10:55 p.m. to the Taco Bell in the 9900 block of Avalon Boulevard and found Garcia in the restaurant’s kitchen area, police said. Firefighters later pronounced him dead.

Investigators plan to present the case to the L.A. County district attorney’s office for filing consideration Wednesday, police said.

Anyone with information on the shooting is asked to call the LAPD South Bureau’s Homicide Division at (323) 786-5111. During non-business hours, or on weekends, calls should be directed to 1-877-527-3247. Anonymous tips can be submitted to L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

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