STOCKTON, Calif. — The San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office says a Stockton couple was set on fire by their neighbor over a parking dispute in August.
It happened off of Annabelle Court in Stockton on the evening of August 15.
The victim's family members and neighbors say the couple is lucky to be alive after surviving the unthinkable.
"I just yelled to my mother, 'Call 911! Our neighbors are on fire!' Literally, they were engulfed in flames," said a neighbor who didn't want to be identified out of fear of retaliation.
That neighbor told ABC10 she opened her window to see flames bursting out of the home across the street when she noticed Jorge and Patsy Garcia covered in flames, too, running out of the home.
"The smell, the screams, I don't think I will ever forget," she said. "My two neighbors that live next door to me basically grabbed hoses and were trying to hose and spray the wife off."
The San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office says this all happened over an apparent parking dispute with their neighbor, 35-year-old Larry Galicinao, who shares the same driveway.
"He decided to fix the problem apparently, he was going to take action and he lit a gas can on fire and basically ran into these people's house," Deputy Sandra Mendez, a spokesperson for the San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office said.
Jorge's sister, Laura, and brother-in-law, Andrew, say the gas can exploded inside the home. Soon Patsy caught on fire at the front door, causing Jorge to catch fire, too. And all of this happened while their 5-year-old daughter was in the shower.
"He had to make a split-second decision to rescue his daughter from the shower," Andrew said.
The 5-year-old walked away without a scratch on her body.
"I can't imagine how their daughter is feeling. The only words we heard her saying are, 'My mommy and daddy are on fire,'" their neighbor said.
Her parents are each still suffering in an intensive care unit with burns covering more than 80% of their bodies.
"So they even have bandages on their hands and all over their bodies. They can't even get out of their hospital beds or write, so that is frustrating for them," Andrew said.
The suspect, Galicinao, caught fire too and has burns covering 65% of his body. The sheriff's office says he is now facing multiple counts of attempted murder and arson charges.
"Once he is released from the hospital, he will be charged," Mendez said.
The 5-year-old girl is now in the care of Andrew and Laura while her parents face a long road to recovery ahead.
"Jorge and Patsy are very lucky to be alive and we're very grateful for the care and all of the nurses and doctors taking care of them," Andrew said.
Andrew and Laura have set up a GoFundMe page to help cover the cost of any remaining medical bills and a new safe place to live after they are released from the hospital.
The San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office is encouraging anyone with information regarding this investigation to call its non-emergency number at 209-468-4400 and choose option 1, or call the Investigations Division at 209-468-4425 and leave a message for Detective Davis. You can refer to case #20-17725. Callers can remain anonymous.
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