GUILTY CO - Zoe Garcia, 7, beaten to death, Johnstown, 6 Dec 2007

JOHNSTOWN, Colorado (AP) -- Two teens have been charged with killing the 7-year-old sister of one of them by beating her with imitations of moves from the "Mortal Kombat" video game, prosecutors said.


http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/law/12/20/mortal.kombat.ap/index.html

Her own sister and her sisters boyfriend did this. I do let my 9 year old son play mortal combat but he understands it is just a game and not real and we do not play like that. My daughter who is 3 does not understand so we do not let her watch it. This is just horrible, killers are getting younger and younger.

This is a horrible case. What on earth is wrong with people today? This one is going to be hard to say "the video game wasn't responsible". There is an interesting discussion going on over at the Denver Post at this link. Someone posting over there as Vanessa Perales claims to be the aunt of Zoe. If her statements are true, little Zoe is another one of those children who lived a life of chaos with adults that were about as irresponsible as my three year old. Absolutely NONE of that excuses the actions of these two idiots that thought they could kick, body slam, and essentially TORTURE :furious: :furious: :furious: a seven year old little girl. I am disgusted by a large segment of society today. Not a good way to be feeling at Christmas. Scum, shameful scum is what they are. My prayer - God please let any little children living with these dispicable, self-centered, idiots find some joy and happiness, and protect them from the evil that surrounds them. Amen.

http://origin.denverpost.com/technology/ci_7760927

"Desperatly searchin 3 yrs ... im Teresa the aunt of Zoe in the pasted three years i have recieved a few calls myself from Zoe . She could never tell me the town she was in . Dana T . the mother had been on drugs for years and ALWAYS had her self in the Bar scene . Leavin these kids alone, in Socorro. she even abandon Ariana the older one. Ariana currently lives wit me . oh she gots stories to make ur heart hurt and stomache Sick ! i have been searchin ever since for Zoe . She was kid-knapped from her father who loves her dearly! I have made endless phone calls, internet searches lookin for her . Everytime i located her she would move to the nexted town. This has been very emotional for us we loved her dearly Anthony and Ariana held on to a dream that the three of them would be a family again . We had a lot of love to give her and was sooo close to that day we would have the chance to give her all the years of love she so deeply was deprived of. This was a father who loved his girls, and a woman who spent her time running from a loving father. The mother and daughter need to face the consiqences of the death of my niece! May they Live Forever and be Haunted in their Dreams ! nothing can bring her back or justify /excuess killin a child !
Vanessa Perales
Joined: Dec 19
Points: 223 Posted by Vanessa Perales (aka nEsSiiTa)
at 8:21 PM on Wednesday Dec 19 "

Oh, how sad.

I don't know what Mortal Kombat is. I know my son has your typical wrestling/football etc moves and doesn't realize how strong he really is sometimes. He's 11 though.

I'm pretty sure these teens would know that certain moves can really injure or kill.

From the CNN link:
Roberts said he was downstairs playing video games while the sisters wrestled upstairs, police said. But a witness quoted in the affidavit said Roberts told her he had kicked the girl.
The witness told police that Roberts said Zoe had told them to stop wrestling. According to the affidavit, when the witness asked why they didn't stop, he responded, "I don't know; I was drunk."
:behindbar

A 17 year old and a 16 year old ABSOLUTELY know better than to do something like this!! Why are they in the house, alone with a young child, drinking??? This is horrible.

When I was intrusted with any of my relatives or my sister, I could never have a boyfriend over. I don't even think I could have a friend over, for fear that I may not keep a close eye on the child I was watching.

Reannan said:

This one is going to be hard to say "the video game wasn't responsible".

Click to expand...

I still don't agree that the video games are responsible. They were 16 & 17, old enough to know and understand that you don't go around drop kicking anyone, let alone a 7 year old child! Sounds like a dynamic and unsupervised household and if it wasn't the MK moves that hurt/killed precious Zoe, it would have been something else.

2luvmy said:

I still don't agree that the video games are responsible. They were 16 & 17, old enough to know and understand that you don't go around drop kicking anyone, let alone a 7 year old child! Sounds like a dynamic and unsupervised household and if it wasn't the MK moves that hurt/killed precious Zoe, it would have been something else.

Click to expand...

Exactly, they could have blamed it on a movie they saw or a show on TV. Plus his other excuse is he was drunk. Well I don't think that will fly to well in court. Lots of people play MK and never beat someone to death.

HIS:
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=65295296

HERS:
http://www.myspace.com/stotelmyre

Unbelievable.. these 2 are definitely old enough to know better. They are much bigger than a 7 year old. Maybe they figured they'd get off easy as that wrestling case of the boy that killed a girl in Florida -Miami?
Hopefully the aunt will take custody of the remaining children.
These two need to be charged as adults. Even karate professionals were protective gear when sparring. This little girl was brutally beat to death.

Sick, sick, sick.
I personally believe that violent video games and movies cause kids to be more violent. This confirms my beliefs.

Well they're both going to be spending years in prison now and they can find out what it's like to have someone bigger and badder come after you! That poor little girl never had a chance

VB

Taximom said:

HIS:
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=65295296

HERS:
http://www.myspace.com/stotelmyre

Click to expand...

Tards! But anyway, I wonder why both their pages say "online now"? LE maybe?

I have gone over this and over this in my mind since I heard it on the radio today.. I cried for her and I'm just furious.. I can't start to think about the poor girl and them acting like as-es and doing that physically to her, finding it cute and funny...how she regained conciousness for a moment and they had her go to bed and all of the injuries that were found, and she had been sent to bed (how she must have felt) where she lost conciousness again..I'm just so pis-ed off and sad......if anyone sees a picture of this angel, please post it..

Here is a picture of this little angel:

http://i223.photobucket.com/albums/dd234/reannan1462/ZoeGarcia.jpg

It is from this article about how her biological father had been searching for her:
http://origin.denverpost.com/technology/ci_7774010

My heart breaks for her.

2luvmy said:

I still don't agree that the video games are responsible. They were 16 & 17, old enough to know and understand that you don't go around drop kicking anyone, let alone a 7 year old child! Sounds like a dynamic and unsupervised household and if it wasn't the MK moves that hurt/killed precious Zoe, it would have been something else.

Click to expand...

IMO, that's the problem, it's always someone else's fault. They don't want to take responsibility for their actions. I could possibly see something like this happening with three 7 year olds rough housing, but not with 16 & 17. Poor little girl.

http://www.9news.com/news/local/article.aspx?storyid=84640

Teenage girl accused in 'Mortal Kombat' death appears in court
written by:Adam Chodak, 9NEWS Northern Reporter
Last updated: 1/16/2008 9:17:25 PM
Both are being held at the Weld County jail on a $100,000 bond.

At Wednesday's hearing, Trujillo's bond remained the same.

A disposition hearing was scheduled for Jan. 30. Bond reduction could be discussed at that time.
(more at link)

Older links:
http://www.9news.com/news/article.aspx?storyid=83600
100 gather to remember 7 yr old girl
JOHNSTOWN (AP) - Zoe Garcia loved jumping rope, being with her relatives and making those around her happy.
More than 100 friends and family gathered at a church in Johnstown Saturday to remember the 7-year-old girl who died December 6th.
(more plus pics at link)


http://www.9news.com/news/article.aspx?storyid=83311
"One of the sweetest"
Zoe's father, Anthony Garcia, who flew in from Sacramento, said he had not seen Zoe in three years. He saw her Sunday morning during a viewing of the body.
"It's really tough. I just can't believe it," Garcia said.
Still in shock, he remembered Zoe as a "cute little kid who was always smiling." (more at link)

and maybe most importantly:

"Expert": Video game defense won't stand in court
http://www.9news.com/news/article.aspx?storyid=83144
"There is no such defense as, 'The video game made me do it.' It won't even act as mitigation at sentencing if these teens are convicted," said Robinson.

The Mortal Kombat game has been around since 1991, but in 2000, the American Psychological Association released a report that cited Mortal Kombat as a game that can increase a person's aggressive thoughts, feelings and behavior.
and
Roberts told police he performed a back kick on Garcia and kicked her again before she stopped breathing.

In the arrest affidavit, the two teens said they put the girl in a bath to try and revive her, and Roberts said he cracked an egg in her mouth to see if Garcia was faking her unconsciousness.

Roberts lived in the home and neighbors say they've called social services several times before to complain of abuse.

"If prosecutors can prove prior abuse, it'll go a long way towards convicting both of these teens," said Robinson.

:behindbar

Unbelievable.
http://www.greeleytrib.com/article/20080125/NEWS/795856117

Dana Trujillo, mother of murder victim Zoe Garcia arrested (with video interview)

Police arrested a Johnstown woman Thursday night, the same woman whose 16-year-old daughter is in jail, accused of killing her sister in the infamous “Mortal Kombat case”.

Dana Trujillo, 30, is being held in the Weld County Jail on three charges of child abuse, stemming from a warrant out of New Mexico. (more plus video at link)

Heather Trujillo

Guilty Plea
Location: Youthful Offender System - Pueblo
Sentence Date: 07/02/2008

Offense: Child Abuse
Sentence: 18 years Suspended with 6 years in the Youthful Offender System

Current Release Date: 12/14/2013


Lamar Roberts

Guilty Plea
Location: Fort Lyon Correctional Facility
Sentence Date: 01/16/2009

Offense: Child Abuse Resulting in Death
Sentence: 36 years

03/01/2025 - First Parole Hearing
06/01/2025 - Parole Eligibility Date
06/01/2043 - Maximum Release Date