East Toledoan gets 12 years in prison for fatal stabbing of friend

8/5/2013

An East Toledo man who fatally slashed his friend with a knife during a fight was sentenced to 12 years in prison today by Lucas County Common Pleas Judge Dean Mandros.

John Garcia, Jr., 34, of 572 Howland Ave., pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and felonious assault in connection with the March 21 death of Christopher Ogden, 40, of Toledo and the wounding of Brenda Watts, 36, of Toledo.

Garcia told the court he and his friend got into a fight at Mr. Ogden’s home. It escalated, he said, “and I stabbed him.”

As part of the plea agreement, Judge Mandros dismissed two alternate counts of murder.