The investigation into the April 7 St. Claude shooting that killed 41-year-old Michael Garcia has widened, with two more people arrested on Wednesday in Orleans Parish, according to court records. The latest suspects, Joshua A. Emery Sr. and Mi’janae Ingram, were both booked on second-degree murder counts, extending a case that had already produced an earlier arrest.
Arrests and charges
Court filings show Emery was arrested on one count of second-degree murder and faces 11 additional counts, including aggravated assault with a firearm and a domestic-abuse battery involving strangulation. Ingram was booked on a separate second-degree murder charge, according to NOLA.com.
What court records show
According to prosecutors, the shooting unfolded around 5 p.m. on April 7 at North Claiborne Avenue and Desire Street, when a group of motorists allegedly opened fire at the driver of a blue Nissan Maxima. The Maxima then crashed into Garcia’s Jeep, and the Maxima’s driver ran off on foot.
Garcia was found in the driver’s seat of his Jeep with a gunshot wound to the head and later died at University Medical Center. Friends and co-workers remembered him as a Marine veteran and a popular bartender in the city’s craft-beer community, as reported by FOX 8.
Court timing and tips
Bond hearings for Emery and Ingram are scheduled to be set in Orleans Parish Criminal District Court on Wednesday afternoon, according to the filings. The documents also state that a group of motorists opened fire on the Maxima’s driver, setting off the chain of events that left Garcia dead.
Authorities are still seeking additional information. Anyone with tips is asked to contact NOPD detectives at (504) 658-5300 or CrimeStoppers at (504) 822-1111 or toll-free at 1-877-903-STOP, according to NOLA.com.
Earlier arrest and the scene
Police had previously arrested 48-year-old Terrence Leavell in connection with the case. He was booked with manslaughter, possession of a firearm by a felon and illegal use of weapons, and allegedly told investigators that he fired to protect his nephew…