Chris Baker’s home in Rolling Hills was filled with both tears and laughter Monday night.
Family and friends sat round the dining table and shared memories of Baker’s grandson, Adam Garcia. The 21-year-old Oak Harbor man was killed in a shooting early Saturday morning in the city.
Garcia was remembered as a loyal son and friend. A peacemaker and protector. A trickster.
His mother, Bettie Sifuentes, said her son’s true character was most evident when he was with his beloved daughter, 5-year-old Sophia.
“You could just see the love on his face when he looks at her,” she said. “It was so genuine.”
A team of law enforcement officials took the shooting suspect, Christopher Malaga, 23, into custody in Bellingham at 12:47 p.m. Tuesday. Malaga’s being held in Island County jail on a $1-million arrest warrant.
The Island County prosecutor charged Malaga with second-degree murder Monday. Malaga has no criminal history, other than misdemeanors as a juvenile. He was originally from New Jersey, but has been on Whidbey since December of 2013.
Chief Ed Green with the Oak Harbor Police Department said officers responded to a 911 call of a shooting at the intersection of Southwest Fairhaven Drive and Southwest Castilian Drive at 3:15 a.m. Saturday.
Garcia was shot in the face and died at the scene after officers arrived. Witnesses helped police identify the shooter as Malaga. The police report describes the confrontation as a drug deal gone wrong.