Saturday, November 5, 2011

Arizona - Hells Angel member pleads guilty to murdering a Mesa mom in 2001

OFF THE WIRE
WICKENBURG, AZ (KPHO) -
Kevin Augustiniak, a member of the Hells Angels Mesa chapter, pleaded guilty last month to the brutal murder of Cynthia Garcia in 2001.
It's been a long road to justice for her family.
"This is something we have to live with every day," said Olivia Turner, one of Garcia's daughters, who lives in Wickenburg.
Turner says every day for 10 years, her family has had to remember the heinous way their mother was murdered.
"She attended a part at the Hells Angel chapter in Mesa. She got maybe belligerent with them, or disrespectful. They decided to beat her up, and not only that, they decided to put her in a trunk of a car and drive her out to the desert and brutally stab her 27 times," Turner recounts.
Cynthia Garcia's body was found in the desert near Usery Pass in southeast Mesa.
Several bikers from the Hells Angels chapter in Mesa were originally indicted in 2003 for killing the 44-year-old mother of six. Eventually, two members were charged for first degree murder, including Kevin Augustiniak, in 2007.
He was recently scheduled for trial, but instead pleaded guilty to second degree murder last month, which carries a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison.
Garcia's children believe Augustiniak deserves nothing short of life for taking their mother's.
She was "not just murdered, just the way she got murdered. It haunts all of us," said Turner.
Turner is fearful to even talk about this case, but she's also afraid the time Augustiniak will spend behind bars will not be enough.
"He's only 30-something years old. He's going to be out by the time he's 50. Is he going to do it again? We just want justice," said Turner.
She and her family plan to speak at Augustiniak's sentencing on Nov. 17.
http://www.kpho.com/story/15957728/hells-angel-member-pleads-guilting-to-murdering-a-mesa-mom-in-2001