Farmersville Police Department News Release
*Update*
Case #: 18-1131
Date: 12-09-2018
Crime: Homicide (UPDATE)
Occurred: 900 Block of West Ponderosa, Farmersville, CA.
Victim(s): Garza, Brian Alexander 25 yrs Resident of Farmersville
Suspect: Alexander Jude Shinn (DOB: 8-29-93) Resident of Farmersville
The Victim in this case has been identified as Brian Alexander Garza 25 years old who was a resident of the City of Farmersville.
Further investigation into this case shows that the victim Brian Garza and the suspect Alexander Shinn were roommates living along with two other adult males at a residence in the 900 Block of W. Ponderosa. Suspect Shinn had been living in the residence since September of this year. It was reported that there was ongoing and growing tension between Garza and Shinn over a number of issues. Around 4:00 AM on the morning of Saturday December 08, 2018 Shinn awoke and armed himself with an approximately 2 ½ foot chrome bar and violently assaulted Garza as he lay sleeping on the couch in the living room of the residence. Garza was struck numerous times by Shinn with the bar and in addition Shinn physically assaulted the victim including kicking, strangling and hitting his head against the tile floor of the residence. Shinn then took the victim out to an SUV that he had access to and frequently drove. After attempting to clean the scene Shinn drove the victim’s body to an area just outside of the community of Strathmore leaving him in a grove there.
Shinn then returned to the residence where he initially told other roommates a story of Garza having been abducted by a lone assailant wearing all dark clothing and a mask. Later in the day roommates called police to report the possible kidnapping and Shinn was ultimately contacted by Police at the residence. Shinn admitted to assaulting and killing Garza and to having taken his body to the grove in Strathmore. A search of the residence also provided a large amount of physical evidence linking Shinn to the crime including the chrome bar used in the assault.
The exact cause of death is pending an autopsy by the Tulare County Coroner’s Office.
The investigation is ongoing and anyone with information in this case is encouraged to contact Detective Barklow with the Farmersville Police Department at 559-747-0321.