Man pleads guilty to 2020 fatal stabbing of person he was shoplifting with in Galleria area, DA says

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A man will serve more than two decades in prison for a deadly stabbing that was followed by a shoplifting spree more than two years ago, officials announced this week.

The Harris County District Attorney's Office said 36-year-old Oscar A. Garcia pleaded guilty to murder and was sentenced to 23 years in prison for killing his acquaintance, 39-year-old Hunter Penn.

On Oct. 8, 2020, Garcia, Penn, and a third man were allegedly on a shoplifting spree in the Galleria area before an argument broke out between them.

Garcia, who claimed he was high on drugs, stabbed Penn about 85 times, including around his neck, the DA said.

The sedan they used was reportedly driven to Denver Harbor and parked with Penn's body in the back seat.

Police found the car and arrested Garcia for the murder about two weeks later, authorities said.

Assistant District Attorney Lara Hogue said that voluntary intoxication is not a valid legal defense and would not have been a defense at trial.

Garcia's plea agreement means that he cannot appeal the conviction or the sentence.

The third suspect in the case has also admitted guilt, and his case is now scheduled for sentencing.

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