Authorities in Oregon have apprehended two individuals suspected of involvement in the shooting of a father who astonishingly drove himself to the hospital after being shot in the head. The incident occurred as gunfire erupted when the family was leaving the drive-thru of an In-N-Out Burger with his wife and their two young sons.
The suspects, 20-year-old Ethan Adrian Armenta-Lagunas and 18-year-old Gabriel “Alex” Javier, both hailing from Salem, were detained on Wednesday. They are facing several charges, including first-degree assault, unlawful weapon use, criminal mischief, and reckless endangerment in relation to the February 9 shooting of Marcio Garcia.
In a search of Armenta-Lagunas’ residence, the Keizer Police Department reported finding multiple firearms. Javier was apprehended later the same day.
Law enforcement officers are continuing their pursuit of a third suspect, 22-year-old Anthony Taylor-Manriquez, who remains at large and is considered armed and dangerous.
Marcio Garcia, aged 28, was traveling with his wife and their two children, aged 2 and 7, when the gunfire erupted in the vicinity of the fast-food restaurant.
Garcia, 28, was in a car with his wife and two children, ages 2 and 7, when shots rang out near the burger chain.
The gunfire shattered the car windows and struck Garcia in the head; his wife and children were uninjured, police said.
“In the middle of chaos and fear, while he was injured and in pain, he somehow found the strength to drive us out of the scene to safety,” his wife wrote in an online fundraiser.
“He protected our family before thinking of himself. That is the kind of man and father he is.”
Images posted online showed the bullet that was removed from Garcia’s head during surgery in February, according to his wife.
She also noted that Garcia did not suffer major brain damage and is currently recovering at home.
“The doctors told us what we already believe — this is nothing short of a miracle,” she said. “Now he faces a long road of rest, healing, and recovery.”
