HOUSTON – Federal investigators said they believe they have the 911 caller who made false accusations that led to the botched raid of a Harding Street home, leaving two dead and two former officers looking at prison time.
Patricia Garcia, a 53-year-old woman, was picked up Wednesday morning from the house directly across the street from the scene of the deadly Jan. 8 raid. Garcia is alleged to have falsely stated her daughter was at the home located at 7815 Harding St. and that she believed there were guns and drugs inside of the residence. The caller wanted to remain anonymous.
When police arrived at the suspected residence in January, shots were fired and Rhogena Nicholas and Dennis Tuttle were left dead. Five Houston police officers were also injured in the gunfire. The indictment alleges Garcia gave false and misleading information in multiple 911 calls by claiming that her daughter was inside of the home and that the residents were addicts and drug dealers and had machine guns in their possession.
Her alleged motives remain unclear.
Garcia could face up to five years in prison if she is found guilty of conveying false information. She has an extensive arrest record dating back to 1996 for crimes such a s theft, assault, drug possession, assault and driving without a license.
What neighbors say
Neighbors and activists said they aren’t surprised by the charges against Garcia. One neighbor said she responded with hostility when invited to a vigil for the murdered residents shortly after the botched raid.
Tommy Arce told KPRC 2 that the residence across the street is his father’s home and that Garcia dated his father, but he said Garcia does not live at the home.
Former officers also charged
Former Houston Police Officers Gerald Goines and Steven Bryant were also arrested on federal charges Wednesday.
In August, Goines was charged by local authorities with two counts of murder in connection with the deaths of Nicholas and Tuttle. Bryant faces a charge of tampering with government documentation.
