The Philadelphia man accused of murdering a man for a pair of expensive headphones was ordered to stand trial.
A judge on Wednesday ruled that there was enough evidence for 20-year-old Arkel Garcia to proceed to trial on murder, robbery and related charges.
Garcia is accused of gunning down Christian Massey on Saturday, Nov. 30 in an alley near 58th Street and Lebanon Avenue in the Wynnefield section of Philadelphia.
Massey, 21, was walking to a nearby friend’s house just before 5 p.m. when he was confronted by a robber. Witnesses say the robber demanded Massey’s Dr. Dre Beats headphones, which retail for around $300, and when Massey tried to run, the robber opened fire.
Massey was hit in the chest and left bleeding on the ground. The suspect ran, leaving the headphones he'd sought next to Massey’s body. When police arrived, Massey was still conscious and told officers an unknown male tried to rob him, officials said. He was rushed to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania where he later died.
Police eventually arrested Garcia and charged him with murder, robbery and related offenses. He has remained behind bars without bail since Dec. 10.
Garcia has maintained his innocence.
His mother Lakasha Hardy, who lives on the same block where the shooting took place, told NBC10 that Garcia was at home watching movies on the front porch at the time of the shooting. She says her 14-year-old daughter also saw him there.
“I told him about the murder, because I seen it on the news that morning. He said ‘I don’t know.’ He was like ‘I was here,’” she said. “It’s at the corner of my block. There’s no way he did that. I searched his room, there are no weapons in his room.”
Hardy says her son spent time hanging out with his girlfriend at the house and did not leave except for two hours on Sunday.
Garcia has a past criminal record for possession and was on probation at the time of the shooting. Hardy says Garcia was working hard to stay out of trouble since that incident -- only going to school to get his high school diploma and to a court-ordered drug treatment program.
Photo Credit: Philadelphia Police