Suspect Released Jan. 2nd On $100,000 Bail
A search warrant released this week has revealed new details in last month’s shooting at Walmart on North Brightleaf Boulevard in Smithfield.
At 5:07pm on Friday, December 13th, Smithfield Police responded to a shooting in the parking lot near the Garden Center and found Hoctavio Garcia suffering from a gunshot wound to his head. The teenager was rushed to Wake Medical Center by Johnston County EMS. Early the next morning, 19 year-old Matthew Jason Beddingfield turned himself in to police and was charged with attempted first-degree murder.
According to a copy of a search warrant obtained by JoCoReport, police found multiple shell casings in the parking lot. Two witnesses described a white four door Dodge Charger seen leaving the parking lot after the shooting. That vehicle was allegedly driven by Matthew Beddingfield. The vehicle was later found on Les Belle Drive, Middlesex and seized. A search warrant was obtained to search the car. Police said they found a Glock magazine, 9mm ammunition, a cell phone, work ID card for Beddingfield, a folding knife and a black plastic bag containing marijuana.
As part of their investigation, the warrant stated police interviewed a 17 year-old acquaintance of Beddingfield. The acquaintance admitted to smoking marijuana earlier in the day on December 13th with Beddingfield and the two went to Walmart to meet Garcia “to get more marijuana.” The acquaintance told police that Beddingfield carries a gun. After arriving at Walmart, the search warrant states an unknown male allegedly robbed the 17 year-old of his shoes and also took some items from Beddingfield. That’s when Beddingfield allegedly shot Hoctavio Garcia in the head.
The warrant stated that police detectives found multiple shell casings in the Walmart parking lot about 30 feet from where Garcia was found on the pavement.
During an interview with police detectives on December 14th, Beddingfield reportedly waived his right to an attorney and agreed to speak with officers. He allegedly admitted to shooting Garcia but claimed it was in self defense. According to the search warrant, Beddingfield refused to tell police where the gun he used to shooting Garcia was located.
In a follow up this week with Smithfield Police on the case, Captain R. Sheppard said, “Investigators are still working additional leads on this case.” The spokesperson said police investigators will be meeting with the Johnston County District Attorney’s Office “in reference to the items seized as a result of the search warrant” at which time a decision will be made on whether more charges will be filed in the case.
Beddingfield had been held in the Johnston County Jail under a $1 million bond since his Dec. 14th arrest. On January 2nd, he was released after his bond was lowered to $100,000.
