A 24-year-old man accused of killing his girlfriend and the mother of their two young children spoke to NBC 7 Friday from behind bars and revealed the motive behind the murder.
Arturo Salazar, arrested in connection with the killing of his girlfriend in Oceanside, said he "got mad" after his girlfriend allegedly lied about cheating on him.
“She cheated on me and lied about it three times,” he told NBC 7. “The first time, I told her, ‘I forgive you; you’re the mother of our children. But the third time, I got mad.”
Salazar told his story from behind bars one day after his arrest.
On Thursday, police discovered the body of Edith Andrea Garcia, 21, concealed under a bed in the garage of a home on Leeward Court in Oceanside.
The young mother had sustained knife wounds, police said.
Salazar was arrested in connection with her death. Officials said he confessed to killing Garcia on Wednesday and hiding her body under the bed. The couple and their two children, ages two and four, had been using the Oceanside garage as living quarters.
Garcia’s parents became suspicious Thursday after they called Garcia numerous times, but were unable to reach her. Salazar told the victim’s parents he had gotten into a fight with Garcia and she left. The parents called police to check on Garcia, and officials found her dead inside the garage.
On Friday, NBC 7 spoke to Salazar about the murder in a jailhouse interview.
When shown photographs of his children and Garcia, his eyes filled with tears.
At first, Salazar appeared timid. A short time later he revealed why he killed the mother of his children.
“She cheated on me and lied about it three times,” he told NBC 7. “The first time, I told her, ‘I forgive you; you’re the mother of our children. But the third time, I got mad.”
Salazar said they began arguing inside the Oceanside garage around 2 a.m. Wednesday, while their kids were asleep in bed.
The argument soon escalated and turned violent.
“I grabbed her tightly to me, turned her around so her back was against me. I held a knife to her neck and said, ‘Why do you keep lying to me? I’m going to kill you,’” recalled Salazar.
“She said, ‘You don’t have the guts to do that to me. You’re not a man.’ And then I slit her throat many times,” he continued.
Not wanting his kids to see what had happened, Salazar said he placed Garcia's body underneath the bed. He then rolled up the rug where the incident occurred and put it on the other side of the bed.
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On Thursday, police said Salazar had at first told officers that he didn’t know Garcia’s whereabouts. After several police interviews, he confessed to killing her.
Salazar told NBC 7 he decided to tell police the truth after he thought of his children.
“I lost my mind, and I couldn’t believe I was leaving my children without anyone to care for them. And I figured it was best if I was in jail,” said Salazar.
After killing Garcia, Salazar said their daughter asked him where her mom was.
“My daughter said, ‘Hey Papi, when is my mommy coming back home? I said, ‘Mommy will come back in the afternoon and we’ll play with her at the park.’ Later, she asked me again when she’d be home. I told my daughter, ‘She’ll be home tonight.’”
The couple’s two children are now in custody of Garcia’s parents.
Salazar said he hopes her parents can one day forgive him.
“I hope you understand why I did what I did. I hope you forgive me,” he said.
And, as for his children, he also hopes they’re able to forgive him someday.
“I feel bad. I don't want to tell my kids right now. Maybe when they're older they might understand.”
Further details about the couple’s living situation in that Oceanside garage were not released, as the investigation is ongoing.
Salazar is being held at the Vista Detention Facility on a first-degree murder charge and is not eligible for release. Investigators say he has been arrested at least one other time before this for domestic violence against Garcia.
He is scheduled to appear in court Monday.
