Family of man killed in Kansas City, Kansas, crime spree now struggles with where to turn
Isidro Garcia’s family is struggling. They’re at a loss for answers and they’re looking for ways to financially contend with the loss of, what family described as, one of the most optimistic, unselfish people they knew.
Garcia was fatally shot outside of his home Wednesday, during a crime spree that gripped Kansas City, Kansas. Garcia had swung by the house to grab lunch, family said. The woman now accused of shooting him has since been arrested and faces several felony charges.
His family started a GoFundMe in hopes of raising money to help pay for his funeral and to support his children.
“Isidro leaves behind a family that is struggling to understand how this type of indiscriminate and unimaginable deed can even occur, much less how it has and will change the course of their lives forever,” family wrote on the GoFundMe page.
“Isidro was a family man, business leader and entrepreneur, often juggling multiple jobs to make sure that his family had every opportunity to grow and prosper.”
Garcia, a son, father and husband, had been employed at Advance Auto Parts for 21 years, family said.
Garcia’s loved ones said they plan to use the money to cover funeral expenses, including flying Garcia’s mother and sisters from Mexico to the U.S.
“This random act of violence has taken one of the most optimistic, unselfish and happy go lucky people we have ever known from this world in a way that can only be described as heartbreaking and unfathomable,” the GoFundMe reads.
Any remaining money will go toward his children’s college funds.
As of Tuesday morning, family had raised about $9,000 of their $15,000 GoFundMe goal.
Crime spree ends in homicide
Alyssa Leanne Arreola, 22, of Independence, has been charged in Garcia’s death. In total, she faces 12 felony charges linked to a crime spree Wednesday in Kansas City, Kansas.
Arreola was charged Thursday with second-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, aggravated robbery, aggravated burglary, three counts of burglary, three counts of stealing a firearm and two counts of theft.
In addition to murder, Arreola is accused of several crimes that appeared to be random in nature, including two home invasions and a stabbing that left a woman hospitalized.
The crime spree began at about 7:30 a.m. Wednesday when a car was stolen from a store parking lot in the 10500 block of Parallel Parkway, court records show.
The same vehicle was involved in a traffic crash a few miles away at 83rd Street and State Avenue, police said. Arreola allegedly drove away from the scene of the crash when she was involved in another collision in the 7800 block of Tauromee Ave.
From there, police said Arreola abandoned the car and fled on foot before invading the home of an elderly woman and stabbing her. The woman was taken to an area hospital with injuries described as non-life-threatening.
About three hours later, as police were still investigating the stabbing on Tauromee Avenue, officers were called to a shooting a few blocks away in the area of 79th Street and Sandusky Ave. There they found Garcia shot dead in the driveway of his home.
Garcia’s car was later found in the 1400 block of Kansas City, Missouri, police have said. Arreola was taken into police custody nearby.
The Star’s Bill Lukitsch contributed.
This story was originally published November 2, 2021 at 1:29 PM.
