Carlos Adrian Garcia
Carlos Adrian Garcia, 21, of north Dalton was found guilty on Friday by a Whitfield County jury for two counts of criminal attempt to commit rape and one count of burglary in the first degree.
The jury of nine women and three men deliberated for approximately two and a half hours after the week-long trial presided over by Superior Court Judge Scott Minter.
The state’s case was presented by Assistant District Attorney Ben Kenemer. Garcia was represented by Rome attorney James Satcher.
Judge Minter accepted the verdict and scheduled sentencing for next Friday.
Garcia was arrested in the early morning hours of July 31, 2021 inside the residence of one of the victims. The victims were both 18 at the time with one spending the night at the other’s home. The mother of the first victim was away assisting a sick relative.
The young women, who did not know Garcia previously, heard him breaking into the residence by breaking out a window. One called 911 on her cell phone while the other called the homeowner who rushed home and arrived right after law enforcement.
Multiple Sheriff’s deputies responded to the scene within minutes of the 911 call and quickly split up with some entering the residence and others creating a perimeter to keep Garcia from escaping.
The officers first located the victims who were unharmed and had them exit the residence. They then located Garcia hiding in the laundry room at the home. Garcia had started to undress and had opened the packaging on a condom. After the arrest, another condom was found in Garcia’s pocket along with a pair of underwear belonging to the victim who lived at the residence and which he had apparently found in the laundry room and taken.
Garcia lived nearby and knew that a young woman lived at the residence although he did not know her. It is not clear if he was surprised by the second female being present.
The women saw him in the residence and heard what sounded to them like the opening of a snack packaging, but which was apparently the sound of him opening the first condom. Garcia did not make physical contact with either victim and neither were injured during the incident.
Garcia was intoxicated at the time but was interviewed six days later by Detective Ronnie Morris who led the investigation for the Sheriff’s Office. Garcia admitted to breaking into the residence and to being angry that night but would not admit to any further purpose or intent inside the home. He did admit he was “being dumb” that night.
Garcia faces up to 30 years on each of the attempted rape charges, one for each victim, as well as an additional 20 years possible on the burglary charge. Garcia had previously completed a pretrial diversion program through the District Attorney’s Office for property damage at Southeast High School when he was 17 and a student at Northwest but otherwise had no significant criminal record.
Garcia remained in custody without bond until February of this year when he was granted a $100,000 bond and placed on an ankle monitor and house arrest. He was taken back into custody after the verdict and will remain confined until his sentencing date.