Manchester man convicted of shooting teen, hitting another with vehicle during 'manhunt'

HARTFORD, CT (WFSB) – A Manchester man convicted of shooting a teenager and hitting another with a vehicle has learned his fate.

Jaime Garcia, 46, was sentenced Tuesday to 27 months in prison for the September 2022 incident, according to Hartford Judicial District Attorney Sharmese Walcott.

Garcia pleaded guilty in Hartford Superior Court on April 29, 2024, to charges of first-degree assault and second-degree assault.

According to court records, on September 1, 2022, Manchester Police received a report of a shooting. When police arrived on scene, they were greeted by a group of minors, including one with a gunshot wound.

During questioning, the juveniles said they were running around the neighborhood playing a game called “manhunt.” At one point during the game, Garcia left his home, chased one of the youths down the street, reached into his pocket and pulled out a gun.

Court records showed Garcia fired several shots into the residential area and struck one of the juveniles. He then returned home, got into a vehicle and drove around the neighborhood looking for other minors who were playing the game.

When he spotted one walking on the sidewalk, the defendant stopped in the vehicle, showed the juvenile a firearm, then pursued and struck the juvenile with his vehicle.

At Tuesday's hearing, Garcia was sentenced to 10 years in prison, suspended after 27 months in custody and 3 years of probation. The state had requested a maximum prison sentence of 12 years, a suspended execution after 6 1/2 years served and three years of probation for the defendant.

“The victims' mothers courageously confronted the man who harmed their children and spoke from their hearts at sentencing, in a public courtroom and in court,” Walcott said. “These teenagers, aged 15 and 16, were playing a game when they were shot and chased by an adult in a vehicle with a gun. The defendant's actions were dangerous not only to the youth playing in the neighborhood that evening, but also to anyone outside that evening in the neighborhood. The defendant's criminal actions have impacted relationships and safety in the community. This has eroded the thread of trust that often runs through a neighborhood. The presence of victims at today's hearing was significant and I would like to take this time to acknowledge their comments and their presence at every stage of the process.

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