Knife to the heart was fatal to man attacked during Fresno strip mall squabble, says doctor
A forensic pathologist, testifying in the murder trial of Michael Leyva said Monday that the wound that killed 38-year-old Miguel Garcia was a knife to the heart.
Leyva, 52, is accused of fatally stabbing Garcia after a confrontation outside of a strip mall in southeast Fresno in 2018. Senior Deputy District Attorney Amy Cobb believes Leyva acted out of anger after seeing Garcia talking to his girlfriend.
Meanwhile, defense attorney Douglas Foster has argued the stabbing was done in self-defense. Leyva is charged with murder and if convicted could face up to life in prison. He has also manslaughter conviction from 1991.
Cobb said during her opening statement Friday the defendant had just dropped off his girlfriend at a cell phone store and was waiting to pick her up when he saw Garcia talking with her. Prosecutors say Levya asked her who Garcia was and she said she didn’t know.
The defendant, who was armed with a knife, got out of his Ford F-150 pickup and confronted Garcia, who responded by throwing a punch at Leyva, according to the prosecution.
Leyva fought back, thrusting his knife into Garcia’s chest. Despite life-saving efforts by police and emergency medical technicians, Garcia died several hours later at Community Regional Medical Center.
On the witness stand Monday, Dr. Michael Chambliss, forensic pathologist for the Fresno County Sheriff-Coroner’s Office, testified that the cause of death was the penetration of the heart due to a stab wound to the chest.
Chambliss testified the knife used in the stabbing pierced the right ventricle of Garcia’s heart.
Garcia also had several abrasions – one to the outside of his hand and another just below his eye on the left side of his face. Both wounds would be consistent with striking someone and or falling, Chambliss said.
The murder weapon is believed to be similar to one purchased at discount tool store in Fresno. Detectives served a search warrant at Leyva’s home and found packaging material for a folding knife about 3 inches long. The knife was not found during the search.
Cobb asked Chambliss if the knife Leyva allegedly purchased could have made the wound found on Garcia’s body. Chambliss said yes.
But when Foster asked Chambliss if any knife with the same thickness and length could have made that wound and he also said yes.
The trial continues Tuesday in Dept. 62.
This story was originally published November 8, 2022 at 5:30 AM.
