A 33-year-old man will spend decades behind bars for killing his ex-girlfriend and throwing her body off a Maryland bridge before driving to Philadelphia to bring in the New Year and later reporting her missing.
Francisco Lara-Garcia was sentenced to life in prison with all but 40 years suspended in connection with the death of 20-year-old Keylin Chavez Dominguez, the Montgomery County State's Attorney's Office said. Lara-Garcia pleaded guilty in March to first-degree murder.
Dominguez Had Started Dating Another Man, Which Made Lara-Garcia Jealous
The pair started dating in early 2021 and lived together at an apartment in Rockville, a Washington, D.C., suburb, according to a probable cause affidavit. Dominguez began dating another man in August 2022, which made Lara-Garcia jealous. However, the former couple still lived together.
Dominguez was last heard from on Dec. 30, 2022, when she texted her new boyfriend. They had made plans to hang out the following day but he became concerned after Dominguez did not contact him. The new boyfriend called Lara-Garcia who claimed he did not know her whereabouts.
Lara-Garcia's Statements to Cops Had Several Inconsistencies and Inaccuracies, Raising Suspicion
After Dominguez's family insisted, Lara-Garcia reported her missing on Jan. 2, 2023. However, his statement to law enforcement "revealed inconsistencies and inaccuracies which indicated Lara-Garcia was not being truthful about the circumstances surrounding the victim's disappearance," cops wrote.
On Jan. 28, 2023, a man walking his dog under the eastbound Intercounty Connector between New Hampshire Avenue and Columbia Pike in Silver Spring discovered a woman's body that was partially concealed by trash bags. The body was later identified as Dominguez's. An autopsy determined she had been strangled to death and beaten.
Lara-Garcia Admitted to Killing Dominguez After an Argument Over the Music Playlist
Shortly thereafter, Lara-Garcia began to flee the area, making authorities believe he was trying to leave the country for Honduras. The U.S. Marshals Service arrested him in Missouri on Feb. 1, 2023.
In an interview he gave after receiving his Miranda rights, Lara-Garcia admitted to murdering the victim. He said on the evening of Dec. 30, 2022, the pair were listening to music in their apartment when he wanted to change up the playlist. She refused and he became angry. The defendant punched her in the face.
Lara-Garcia stuffed the victim's body in two trash bags and placed them in the back seat of his car. He drove around looking for a place to dispose of the body and eventually settled on the Intercounty Connector. He threw her body off the bridge and then went to Philadelphia to celebrate New Year's Eve.
