Parrish Man Sentenced to Over 10 Years for 2014 Palmetto Drive-By Shooting
After more than seven years as a cold case, justice has been served in the 2014 drive-by shooting of Javare Thomas, a 26-year-old Palmetto resident. On December 20, 2024, Ricardo Garcia, 33, of Parrish, was sentenced to 10 years and 8 months in prison for manslaughter with a weapon, bringing closure to a case that had remained unsolved for years.
The shooting occurred on March 22, 2014, near the intersection of Haben Boulevard and U.S. 41 in Palmetto. Following a physical altercation at a local nightclub, Garcia mistakenly targeted Thomas in the drive-by shooting, believing him to be the person involved in the earlier fight. Thomas, an innocent bystander, was struck in the head and later succumbed to his injuries.
The investigation stalled for years until 2019, when an anonymous tip revealed that Garcia had confessed to shooting the wrong person. Additional evidence implicated Garcia and his family in attempting to cover up the crime, including replacing a damaged side mirror on the vehicle used in the shooting.
Garcia was arrested in April 2021. Facing trial, he entered a plea of no contest to the lesser charge of manslaughter with a weapon, a first-degree felony. The plea agreement avoided a possible 30-year sentence for second-degree murder.
The sentencing marks a resolution to a case that had haunted the victim's family and community for nearly a decade. Javare Thomas’s death left a lasting impact on those who knew him, and the sentencing offers a measure of justice for his tragic loss.
Garcia's sentence includes time in prison, followed by a period of supervision. The case serves as a stark reminder of the devastating consequences of violence and the importance of perseverance in seeking justice.