BARTOW, Fla. — A Polk County convicted felon wanted in the death investigation of a 29-year-old man who died from a gunshot wound over the weekend turned himself in.
The Polk County Sheriff's Office said they found Julian Garcia, 29, of Apopka lying in the Citgo parking lot in Bartow with a gunshot wound shortly before 9 p.m. on Saturday, March 2.
After Polk County Fire Rescue arrived to the scene, Garcia was transported to the Lakeland Regional Health Medical Center where he later died.
Detectives said Garcia was in Polk County visiting family at his mother's house. According to his family, he and his sister went to the Citgo to get out of the house after he got upset over family issues.
Detectives said a surveillance camera captured Garcia approaching and then attacking Joshua Jay Pacheco, 28, who was standing outside the store. They said the two eventually moved away from the camera where Garcia was shot. Pacheco then left the area.
After obtaining an arrest warrant for Pacheco on possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and violation of probation, he turned himself in on Monday evening.
Pacheco told detectives he was waiting for her girlfriend to pick him up when Garcia walked over and started attacking him threatening to kill him. Pacheco said they both fell to the ground and he admitted to displaying a handgun. He said the gun went off because Garcia attempted to get the gun once he saw it.
Detectives said Pacheco told them he left the scene because he was scared due to being on probation and his two felony convictions: carrying a concealed firearm out of Orange Co. from October 2017 and driving while license is suspended 3rd or subsequent offense out of Polk County from April 2018.
Pacheco also told detectives he later removed his clothes and threw them into a dumpster. As for the gun, Pacheco turned it into detectives.
Pacheco was booked into the Polk County Jail and charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon (F-2), Violation of Probation, (M-2), and Tampering with Physical Evidence (F-3). His bond is $50,000.
