Therese Garcia, 71, was critically injured after allegedly being beaten with a metal baseball bat by a man she had allowed to stay at her Crestline, California, home. Her family says the guest stayed six days before Garcia asked him to leave; deputies found her badly injured during a welfare check on Aug. 25. The suspect, 26-year-old Erik Eduardo Navarro, fled the scene with Garcia's phone, keys and e-bike and remained wanted as of Sept. 5. The family has launched a fundraiser and asked the public to contact the Twin Peaks Sheriff's Station or We-Tip with any information.
Crestline Grandmother Severely Beaten After Letting Stranger Stay; Suspect Sought
Image Credit: CBS LA / YouTube.
Therese Garcia, 71, was found badly injured at her Crestline, California, home after allegedly being attacked by a man she had allowed to stay for a short time.
Garcia's family says she met a man walking through the neighborhood who told her his camping gear had been stolen and that he had an upcoming job interview at a nearby hardware store. Convinced he was down on his luck, Garcia offered him a temporary place to stay and cooked for him each night.
Dispute, Then Attack
According to the family, the guest stayed six days before he began making demands and stopped helping with chores. When Garcia asked him to leave, the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department says the man—identified as 26-year-old Erik Eduardo Navarro—attacked her with a metal baseball bat and repeatedly kicked her.
Family Account And Injuries
Garcia's daughter, Abbie, described a brutal, prolonged assault: her mother reportedly fell asleep on the couch, was struck with the bat, and lost consciousness multiple times while the attack continued. "Every time she would wake up a little bit, he would come back and beat her again," Abbie told NBC Los Angeles.
Neighbors became alarmed and requested a welfare check on Aug. 25. Deputies who responded to the residence in the 23900 block of Straight Way found Garcia badly injured. The Sheriff's Department reported cuts to her forehead and eyebrow, swollen hands and severe swelling around one eye. The family later said doctors treated broken bones in her arm, hand and face, deep lacerations, a traumatic brain injury and bleeding in her brain. Garcia remained hospitalized as the case drew wider attention; her condition was described as stabilized but painful, and she may require facial surgery once swelling subsides.
The Suspect And Aftermath
The family says the suspect fled the scene taking Garcia's phone, keys and e-bike; they also reported missing credit cards. The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department identified Erik Eduardo Navarro, an Orange County resident, as the suspect and released his photo while asking the public for help locating him. Navarro was still wanted as of Sept. 5.
"I truly believe he will kill somebody if he's not caught," Abbie Garcia told CBS Los Angeles, urging anyone with information to come forward.
The family has launched a fundraiser to help cover Garcia's medical and recovery costs. Anyone with information about Navarro's whereabouts is asked to contact the Twin Peaks Sheriff's Station; anonymous tips can be submitted through We-Tip.
Note: Early reports based on the department's release estimated the guest had stayed about two weeks; the family clarified the stay lasted roughly six days and described how the two met.
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