Santa Cruz man denied parole for 1995 homicide

A man convicted of a brutal murder in Santa Cruz County back in 1995 has been denied parole.

Nearly 23 years ago, Israel Garcia violently murdered his 77-year-old landlord with a razor blade.

Santa Cruz County District Attorney Jeff Rosell said Garcia could seek parole again in three years.

According to Rosell, on May 10, 1995 Garcia knocked on his landlord, V.G. Townsend’s door pretending to visit him as he had many times in the past. After chatting for 20 minutes Garcia suddenly lunged at him with a 2-inch razor blade and slashed and stabbed his landlord 44 times.

At the trial, the coroner said it took the victim 5-10 minutes to die.

The Santa Cruz County District Attorney’s Office called the murder one of the most heinous in the county. Garcia was sentenced to prison in October 1996.

During Garcia’s first 18 years in prison he committed numerous crimes, including trafficking in drugs with the help of his wife.

In 2001, he slashed an inmate in the face with a razor blade.

In 2014, Garcia began self-help programming in prison, wrote an apology letter to his victim and has been crime free for the last four years.

The Parole Board found the vicious manner in which Garcia killed his landlord demanded a lengthy period of rehabilitation which had not yet been achieved.